An Untraditional Love Story
by crazykelly101
Summary: Derek Morgan never thought he would fall in love. Sylvie Runningwolf was too scarred by events in her past to let anyone into her life. But will one chance encounter in an elevator change everything? Will Derek be able to break down the barriers that Sylvie has placed between them? Follow Sylvie and Derek through the ups and downs that will come in their relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles! You are a lifesaver!**

* * *

Chapter One

_*There are moments in your life that make you and set the course of who you're going to be. Sometimes they're little, subtle moments. Sometimes, they're big moments you never saw coming. No one asks for their life to change, but it does. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are.*_

* * *

Sylvie's POV

Once again, I was running late for the office. Just like every other day of the week. Somehow, I could always sleep through my alarm, no matter how many times it went off. I hurriedly pulled on a pair of black slacks and black flats, before tucking into the pants a purple long sleeved shirt, not noticing and/or caring about the slightly low, maybe too low for work, neckline and the tightness of the shirt. I was never the prettiest girl, but I was confident with my body, and if I was in the right mood, I would show it off. That's what working out every day of the week did for me. The women on my team were always jealous of my toned stomach, asking for my trade secrets, which I never gave away.

I pulled my almost white-blonde hair into a side-swept ponytail, leaving my side bangs loose. I always got compliments when I wore my hair like this, and it was quick and easy, something I really needed this morning. I applied some light makeup, just mascara, which made my eyes really pop, and a coat of light pink lip gloss. I finally left the house at eight-thirty, really late for my standard time of arrival at work. I decided to make up for it by stopping and getting my whole team coffee from our favorite shop, hoping it would win me brownie points and get me off the hook for being late.

I showed my badge at the front desk, trying to balance the two drink caddies in my hands, containing seven steaming large coffees. I set the caddies onto a table in the lobby to readjust my bag and hair before picking them up once more. As I walked towards the elevator, I stopped, once again, to admire a photo on the wall. This wall was dedicated to all of the teams in the FBI-Quantico office. I was particularly interested in the photo of my team. I remembered the day the photo was taken in Danielle's office of the seven of us.

My Unit Chief, Danielle Cherie, was affectionately referred to in the FBI as the Ice Queen. People were scared of her, thinking that she was some sort of angry drill sergeant, but she was an amazing agent. She handpicked her team, making it an honor to be chosen as her second in command. Danielle was fourty-five, but looked a lot younger. She had platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes, which made her a target for almost any newbie in the office. Many guys had tried to date her, but she turned down them all. She kept her work and personal life separate, making most of her personal information unknown to everyone. So many rumors were spread about her all around the building, that she was a witch and a cat lady. People had also come to believe that she had driven away her entire family, as the only fact everyone could agree on was that she grew up moving from foster home to foster home.

The other team members, SSA Athena Wrenne, SSA Lora Lennox, SSA Nicolai Crawford, SSA Thatcher Pierce, and our technical analyst Jax Dupree and I, were circled around Danielle's desk, where she sat. We were all smiling, a rare occurrence in our office. That had been a very good day. We shut down one of the largest human trafficking rings Virginia had ever seen that day, now three months ago.

I then looked up and saw the clock, showing nine-fifteen. Going as fast as I could, I made it to the elevator and stepped inside; pushing the number four button, for my fourth floor office. I was finally able to catch my breath, or so I thought. I then heard the call of someone, a male, saying, "Hold the elevator!" I used the only thing I had available, my foot to stop the elevator from closing. A man stepped in; although I was too busy keeping a hold of my coffee to look at him closely. When I finally did, my gaze was met by the most intense pair of brown eyes. His eyes held my gaze for what seemed like an eternity before he finally spoke.

"Thank you," he said, holding several thick manila folders in his hands, "Running a little late this morning I guess."

I gave him a small smile, before turning away. Keeping to myself was something I seemed to be very good at. I had put up some walls a long time ago, and only a select few people ever saw the inside of those walls, aka the real me.

"I'm being very rude," he said after a few minutes of silence, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is.."

"Derek Morgan," I cut in, "Behavioral Analysis Unit. I know who you are."

* * *

Derek's POV

The morning had not been good for me. The night before, the team had just returned from a case in New Hampshire that had not ended well. After seventy-two hours straight with no sleep trying to catch her, the UNSUB had killed herself, along with the victim we had been trying to save, who turned out to be the daughter that the UNSUB had given up for adoption 20 years before when she was just a teenager. This struck me, reminding me of Emily. Garcia and I had just gotten back from our visit to her in London a few weeks ago, and since then, I really missed her. It wasn't the same on the team anymore. Her desk remained empty, except for a photo that Penelope had put there just after Emily left. It was the picture of our team from JJ and Will's wedding; all of us smiling, happy in that moment. I had caught up on six of those seventy-two blissful hours when my phone had rung at eight-fifteen and Penelope unfortunately told me that we had another case.

I didn't go on my usual morning run, a rarity for me. I began buttoning the dark blue button down shirt I had chosen for the day. Pairing it with a pair of black jeans and slipping on a pair of dress shoes, I finally left, only to have to go back in to retrieve the files that I had taken home to create a preliminary profile for. I didn't even have time to stop at my favorite coffee shop like I usually did in the mornings. I finally made it to work at nine-ten, running very, very late. I rushed inside, showing my ID to the security at the front desk before making my way towards the elevator. Along the way, I paused, noticing that they had finally finished the wall of pictures. This wall was of the teams based here at Quantico. I found the photo of my team, taken just a few days before JJ's wedding, right before the bank fiasco. All of us, even Hotch were smiling, not knowing what would come in a few days. The rug would be ripped out from underneath us and Emily would leave, leaving holes in all of our hearts, especially mine.

I shook my head, trying to make Emily disappear from it. I began walking towards the elevator, and when I saw that it was beginning to close, I called out for whoever was inside to hold it, not wanting to be any later than I already was. Thankfully, they did, and the doors opened, revealing only one passenger: the most beautiful woman that I had ever seen. She didn't look at me as I walked inside, but when she finally did, our eyes locked gazes. Her eyes, I noticed, were alarmingly different than any I had ever seen. The irises were pink, something that, I had heard from Spencer's rambling one day, was an extremely rare occurrence, only in albinos. But she couldn't be one of those freaks. Her hair was so light blonde that it was almost white. She was so gorgeous. Realizing that I had just been staring at her, I cleared my throat and finally spoke.

"Thank you," I said, readjusting the files in my hands, "Running a little late this morning I guess."

A small smile graced her face before she turned away, not responding to my question. She had blown me off. After a few minutes of silence, I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to introduce myself to this beautiful woman that was right next to me.

"I'm being very rude," I said, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is.."

But before I could tell her my name, she had told me herself, something I was not expecting at all.

"Derek Morgan," she cut in, "Behavioral Analysis Unit. I know who you are."

This certainly threw me for a loop. I immediately tried to hide the shocked look on my face, but not before she noticed it.

"So, you've heard of me," I said, trying to sound smooth and confident.

"Hasn't everyone?" she questioned, but I didn't pick up on the sarcasm, "You have quite the reputation."

"You think you know me?" I asked, trying to challenge her.

"I think that I can profile you," she responded, not showing any fear.

"Go ahead," I said, wanting to see if she actually could.

As she opened her mouth to start talking, the elevator came to a crashing stop as the light inside went off. It jolted and I instinctively reached out and shielded my new companion. The light then came back on, but I knew that we were stuck. She wretched out of my grasp, somehow still holding onto the coffee, which hadn't spilled amidst all the chaos. I pushed the alarm button, but it wasn't working, neither was the emergency phone.

"Power must be out," I concluded, turning towards the mystery woman in the elevator, whose name I still did not know.

She pulled out her cell phone, only to be met with no service. My phone had the same message, "NO SERVICE."

She sighed before speaking, "Well, seeing as how my team isn't going to get these hot anymore, there's no need to waste them. Help yourself."

She took one of the coffee cups and sat down against the wall of the elevator, pulling her knees close to her chest. I did the same, and sat across from her on the other wall.

"So, if you think you know so much about me, profile me," I said, my famous grin plastered on my face.

"Derek Morgan, age thirty-nine. You're with the Behavioral Analysis Unit, like I said before," she began, a serious expression on her face, "You're a player, or so you like to think. That reputation I was talking about, it wasn't just you kicking down doors. You have a lot of dates on your down time, but none of them are ever serious."

"That's simple stuff," I replied, "Anyone could know that."

"You don't trust people easily," she continued, "I can tell that you trust me. That's due to a traumatic event from your past, most likely your childhood. Someone broke that sacred circle of trust, and since then, you make people earn your trust."

I was dumbfounded by her profiling. She had hit the nail right on the head. I had never told anyone about my trust issues. They were deep-rooted from my childhood, and it was all Buford's fault.

"You grew up in a tough neighborhood. I'd say you were a street cop first, then worked your way up to the FBI," she kept profiling, "And why you became a cop? Family tradition, I'm assuming. You're father was probably a cop."

"Yeah," I replied, the first words I had spoken in minutes, "He was killed off-duty. Shot. I was there. I saw it all."

"And that's when you knew," she said, making profiling seem effortless.

"I guess so," I responded, looking at her. She met my gaze for a few seconds, before diverting her eyes and her hand clung to the necklace around her neck. A sterling silver prayer box. My mom had one that Sarah and Desiree, my sisters, had given to her for Christmas a few years back.

"You're territorial and aggressive," she kept going, which amazed me, "But you're also compassionate. You feel for the victims that you see. You also have a strong connection with your team, they're like your family."

"How did you do that?" I asked, looking at her in awe.

"What?" she asked, oblivious to the fact that she had just profiled me perfectly.

"You just created a perfect profile of someone that you've known for ten minutes," I said, "That's pretty impressive."

"Oh, one more thing about trust," she added, looking at me for the first time with sincerity in her eyes, "You have a hard time trusting people because there have been those who entered and then left your life."

I sighed, shaking my head which was looking down. "How could you possibly know that? Are you a profiler?"

"Not exactly," she responded.

"I don't even know your name," I said, looking hopelessly up at her.

"SSA Sylvie Runningwolf, Criminal Investigative Unit," she replied with a confident gleam in her eyes.

"CIU, so you're in..." I began.

"Yes, I'm in Danielle Cherie's unit," she cut in.

"How's that?" I asked, remembering what I'd heard about her around the office, "I hear she's pretty tough."

"She's not as bad as everyone says," Sylvie replied, "Everyone makes her out to be this horrible human being, but if they got the chance to know her and work with her, they'd realize that she's been through some horrible stuff in her life."

"So, Runningwolf, huh?" I questioned, changing the subject, "Is that Native American?"

"Yeah," Sylvie answered, "I'm full-blooded Cherokee Indian."

I paused, confused by what she'd just told me, which contradicted her appearance.

"Before you ask, I'm albino," she said, looking at me with a shy smile, "First one in fifty years from the tribe."

"That sounds like an incredible feat," I replied, "Congratulations."

"Thanks," she replied sarcastically, "And, again, before you ask, yes. You can profile me if you want to."

I had been about to ask her that. It was like she was reading my mind. I hesitated before I began profiling her.

* * *

Sylvie's POV

Just what I needed. Getting stuck in an elevator with an arrogant, cocky jerk. Or so I thought. When the elevator stopped, he protectively took me into my arms, to protect me. When his arms shielded me, my skin exploded. It felt like fireworks going off in my head. There was a certain spark there, but I pushed it to the back of my mind and retreated back to my shell, wriggling myself out of his grasp just after the elevator stopped shaking.

And then he wanted me to profile him. When I'd first been in the Academy, I'd wanted to be a profiler. I'd taken the necessary classes and was well on my way to being one, but right before graduation, I'd gotten the call from Danielle, asking me if I would join her team. I couldn't pass up that opportunity, and it would keep me closer to home. You see, the CIU handles cases in, around, and near Virginia and D.C. Which let me be able to spend the night in my own bed, rarely in horrible, odor-ridden hotel rooms. This gave me time to spend with my cats, Lux and Puma. I rescued both of them from the animal shelter after getting lonely. Lux was involved in a house fire, which caused her to lose a lot of fur and her left eye. After a little TLC, her fur had grown back as close to normal as it would get. Puma was another shelter find. She was hit by a car, almost died. Because of the severity of her injuries, her right front leg was amputated.

I stepped way outside my comfort zone and told him that he could profile me if he wanted to. I don't know where that sudden burst of confidence had come from, but, as luck would have it, a few minutes later, he began.

"You have some trust issues of your own," Derek began, "Probably from a deep-rooted tragic event from your childhood, like mine. You don't let people in easily, you're guarded and a little self-concious."

"Go on," I said, not sure if I wanted to know what else this expert profiler could tell about me from my behavior.

"You're not married, and I'm guessing you don't date much," Derek said hesitantly.

I nodded and smiled reassuringly.

"You have a cat, maybe two," he said, a smile on his face.

"Okay, how could you have known that one?" I asked.

"You're introverted, shy and quiet," Derek began to explain, "Studies show that those who are introverted are more likely to own cats than dogs. Add in the statistic about how it's more likely that a single woman will own a cat than a man. Plus, I noticed the cat hair on your pants."

"You are seriously a jerk!" I said, throwing my empty coffee cup at him, "You really had me going!"

"Hey, all of it was profiling, up until the cat hair thing," Derek said, waving his arms in surrender, while keeping them close to protect his face if needed.

"You are a real piece of work," I said, shaking my head, while not being able to stop smiling.

"It got you to smile didn't it?" Derek said, a smile gracing his face, "You have a beautiful smile by the way."

I could feel myself blush, and I knew it would be totally apparent on my face, since I was so pale.

I yawned, which was strange, because of all the coffee I had just drank.

"Tired there, Catwoman?" Derek asked, a devilish look on his face.

"Didn't get my run in this morning," I replied, "That's what usually wakes me up in the mornings."

"You run?" Derek said, sounding surprised.

"Don't sound so surprised," I said, teasing, "I run five or six miles before work each morning."

"Where do you run?" Derek asked, sounding inquisitive.

"Crosstown Trails, usually, they connect Battery Kemble Park, Glover Archbold Park, and Rock Creek Park," I replied.

"Sounds like some rough terrain," Derek said, "And you run it alone? That doesn't sound very safe."

"I'm not completely helpless Agent Morgan," I said with a small smile, "I did take your self-defense classes a time or two. I know how to protect myself. Plus, I don't think there's too many serial killers out at four in the morning."

"You took my class?" Derek said, sounding surprised, "How could I not remember such a gorgeous face?"

The elevator then shook once more before it opened, showing a few repairmen with huge smiles on their faces. I looked at my phone for the first time since the incident. It had been two hours. I'd sat in here with Derek Morgan for two hours, during which time he proceeded to flirt with me the entire time. I stood up, ready to leave this hell hole. Not that I didn't enjoy the company, the gorgeous company, but I wasn't relationship material, and I knew that. I was destined to be alone for the rest of my life. No guy needed a woman with as much emotional baggage as I had.

"Sylvie, wait," Derek said, also standing up, "Maybe we could go to dinner sometime."

"I don't think that would be a good idea," I said, putting on the Ice Queen face that I had seen Danielle use all the time, "But thank you for everything."

I quickly walked to my office, readjusting my bag, and trying to ignore the horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Putting Derek in the back of my mind, I started the paperwork that I needed to work on, while still trying to forget about him.

* * *

Derek's POV

For the first time in a long time, I had been blown off.

After the repairmen had been able to fix and open the elevator, Sylvie had immediately tried to make a run for it. I had stopped and asked her if maybe we could go to dinner sometime, wanting to get to know this mysterious woman better.

Her response had surprised me, ""I don't think that would be a good idea," she had said, "But thanks for everything."

And then she had left, readjusting her messenger bag, out of which, a small card fell out. I picked it up, but before I could get her attention to return it, she was gone. I looked at the card, and a small smile came to my face.

It was her FBI business card, complete with office number and cell number. This could come in handy for me. I wasn't going to let her go that easily. This woman had something special and I wanted to find out what it was.

* * *

"_You learned to run from what you feel, and that's why you have nightmares. To deny is to invite madness. To accept is to control." ― Megan Chance, The Spiritualist_

* * *

**So what do you think? I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Please review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions for future chapters! ~Kelsey**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles! You are a lifesaver!**

**Also, I used a snippet of a scene from CM Season 7, when Hotch and Beth are racing, but in my world, that (Hotch/Beth) never happened, so neither did that scene!**

* * *

Chapter Two

_'Tis a lesson you should heed, _

_Try, try, try again,_

_If at first you don't succeed,_

_Try, try, try again_

_~W.E. Hickson, British educational writer_

* * *

Sylvie's POV

It had been a crazy, hectic few weeks. We'd been trying to track down a pedophile who was selling kids on the internet, and when we finally did, we found that he had kidnapped over twenty children from across the country for his "business." It was sickening watching him smile as we arrested him. It was the day after the arrest, a Friday thank goodness, and I was excited for the weekend. The only plans I had involved me, my couch, and two guys: Ben and Jerry. Now, however, it was four o'clock in the morning, and I was running my usual route. I couldn't get one particular guy out of my head: Derek Morgan. For some reason, these past few weeks, he had called and texted me constantly, saying he wasn't going to give up that easy. I remember the first conversation that I'd had with him on the phone, the day after the elevator incident.

* * *

_Flashback_

I had been sitting at home, reading, or a better way to put it, rereading Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut for the sixth time. Lux and Puma were curled up around me and Law and Order: SVU was playing on the TV, but I wasn't really paying attention to it. I was deeply engrossed in the book when my iPhone started ringing. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered it anyway, figuring it could be someone important.

"Hello?" I answered, not sure of the of the identity of the caller.

"Hey Sylvie," the voice said, and I immediately recognized it, "It's Derek Morgan."

"How did you get my personal cell number?" I asked, knowing that I surely hadn't given it to him.

"When you left the elevator in a hurry, you dropped one of your business cards," Derek explained.

"Okay," I said, hesitating, "Is there a reason that you called me?"

"Well, you kinda shot me down quick yesterday," Derek said, "I thought, maybe, after you had some time to think about it, you might change your mind. So what do you say? Will you have dinner with me?"

I took a deep breath. A part of me wanted to say yes, wanted to see what could happen. But just as quickly, the walls went back up, protecting my heart.

"Like I said before, Derek, it's not a good idea," I explained, "You seem like a nice enough guy, but I just don't think that now's the right time."

"Well, I hope you know that I'm not going to give up that easily," Derek said in a sly voice, "I'm not going to take no for an answer. One of these days, Sylvie, you'll say yes."

_End Flashback_

* * *

Since then, he had texted and called multiple times, still trying to get me to go out with him. No one had ever tried this hard to go out with me. Sure, some guys asked me out, but when I said no the first time, they didn't ask again. There was something different about Derek Morgan, though, and part of me wanted to know what it was. The other part, however, told me to keep pushing him away. That if I said no enough times, he would finally get the hint.

I shook my head, trying to shake out the thought of him as I rounded the corner of the trail and came into the entrance of Rock Creek Park. Only two miles to go, I told myself as I pulled at the hemline of the blue tank top that I was wearing. It was one that I only wore running, especially when I knew that no one else would see me, as it was a bit too short, showing my toned stomach. I figured though, since it was June, it was okay. The rest of my outfit consisted of blue and white running shorts that showed off my long legs and Nike running shoes. My hair, at the beginning, had been held back in a ponytail, but through all the running, it had fallen out and pieces were plastered with sweat to my face. So as I made my way around the corner, I tugged the ponytail out and shook my hair, letting my long white-blonde hair flow in the warm summer breeze.

I decided to take a break, stretching my leg on a bench as I was preparing to finish out my run when a voice from behind me made me jump.

"Sylvie," Derek said, although I hadn't turned around yet, "What a surprise seeing you here."

As I turned around though, I caught myself gasping at the sight of Derek Morgan in workout clothes. I quickly hid my amazement with my newly adopted Ice Queen look as I responded.

"What are you, stalking me now?" I said, trying to sound cold.

"This is where I run," Derek said, confidently, but I could tell that was not the truth.

"Really?" I questioned, "I've never seen you here before."

"That's because I'm just too fast for your beautiful eyes," Derek said, his famous smile gracing his gorgeous lips.

Gosh, I really to stop looking at him. Somehow, he could make my fears disappear for a few seconds, but, as I knew all too well, they would come back. I rolled my eyes and sighed as I began running again, hoping that he wouldn't follow me. That wasn't the case. Before I knew it, he was at my side.

"You're pretty fast for an Ice Queen," Derek said, smiling at me.

"Look, I run alone," I began, "And there's a reason for it. I like keeping to myself."

"Well, I'm sure that's not true." Derek quickly responded, "I bet you just couldn't find anyone to keep up. Guess what? You found someone!"

"Oh really?" I said, knowing that I could beat him, "How about a race? If I win, you leave me alone and stop asking me out."

"And if I win," Derek began, "You go to dinner with me. One dinner, that's all I'm asking for."

"Deal," I said, ready to beat him and get him out of my hair for good.

* * *

The race began. I pulled ahead with the early lead, leaving him in the dust. I looked behind me as I did, and saw the surprised look on his face. I guess winning state cross country four years in a row came to my advantage. I laughed and kept running. I could see the exit to the park about a hundred feet ahead, what we had decided on for the finish line. I was becoming tired, and before I knew it, he was right next to me again.

"Sorry, but I think I'm going to have to take this one," Derek said, smiling before he surged on past me.

I knew that I had to win. I couldn't go out with him, I just couldn't. So I decided to pull a dirty trick. I stopped fast in my tracks and let out a yelp of pain. Derek immediately stopped and turned around, running back towards me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, as I grasped my ankle.

"I think I twisted my ankle," I said, a look of fake pain on my face.

As he leaned down to look at it, I smiled, and took off, flying through the exit and turning back around, to see Derek smiling and clapping.

"Nice play," he said, "But you cheated."

"We never set any rules," I declared proudly.

"Fine," Derek said, "But since I'm a gentleman, how about I buy you a cup of coffee before you have to go to work?"

"I don't see any harm in that," I began, "But after that, you leave me alone, okay?"

He nodded and we walked to the nearest coffee shop in silence. I didn't know what to say. I felt bad for cheating and obviously, he was hurt by this, but I couldn't date him. I just couldn't.

* * *

As we entered the coffee shop, there was long line of customers anxious for their morning caffeine fix.

"Sylvie," Derek said, turning towards me after we stood in line together for five minutes in silence, "Come to dinner with me tomorrow, and I promise you, you won't regret it."

"I thought you said you'd drop this," I said, looking around, trying to avoid his intense gaze.

"Fine," he said, "But remember, you made me do this."

Before I could reply, he was standing on top of a table and speaking very loudly.

"Sylvie Runningwolf, will you please do me the honor of going to dinner with me tomorrow night?" he said, arms out in a dramatic pose.

"Derek, get down," I said, slightly embarrassed as everyone was now looking at me.

"Not until you say yes," he persisted.

The woman behind me in line then spoke, "Can you just say yes so I can get my coffee? Besides, it's not like he's ugly."

"If I say yes, will you get down?" I asked, as I looked around and saw everyone staring, some with jealous looks on their faces, others filming this on their phones.

He nodded, a hopeful look on his face.

"Fine, I'll go to dinner with you," I gave in, surprised at my own actions.

The coffee shop erupted in applause as Derek got down and ordered our coffees. I slowly sipped my caramel latte as we exited the coffee shop.

"So where to know Cheater?" Derek asked, a sly grin on his face.

"I actually live right around the corner," I said, "I think I can walk from here."

"What kind of FBI agent would I be if I let you walk alone?" Derek said teasingly, "You never know what could happen.

* * *

Again, I sighed, rolled my eyes, and began walking towards home. The few blocks felt like miles walking with Derek. He didn't ask about my family or personal life like other guys might have. I was glad for that. Discussing my personal life wasn't something I was big on. We kept up a conversation talking about work and the cases that we'd been working on recently. It was nice to have someone who understands what I do and why I do it. Since the CIU is basically just a smaller-scale, watered-down version of the BAU, and since I took the profiling courses, I approach the crimes from that angle, which helps my team and I solve a lot of them.

We approached my townhouse and I was relieved. Seeing the light blue exterior made me feel better and safe again. I walked up my front steps, only to turn around and see Derek standing behind me, looking like a lost little puppy.

"You should probably get to work Agent Morgan," I said, a small smile coming to my face as I let my guard down a bit, "I wouldn't want to be the reason that you're late."

"My team's been on stand down for the past few days, should get through the weekend without a case," Derek replied, "So, about that date..."

"Well, since tomorrow is Saturday, I don't work and I don't have any plans. What were you thinking?" I asked.

"I'll pick you up at eight," Derek said.

"Not telling me where we're going?" I replied.

"It'll be a surprise," Derek smiled.

"Can you at least tell me what I need to wear?" I said, smiling, feeling more comfortable around him, "A girl's got to know these things."

"Think black-tie," Derek said, smiling as he began to walk away, "I'll see you tomorrow Sylvie."

"Bye Derek," I said, as I walked inside. Looking in the mirror by the front door, I talked to my reflection, something I often did when I stressed.

"What did you just agree to?" I asked myself.

* * *

Derek's POV

I made it to the office and began working on the mountain of paperwork that was sitting on my desk. Although, my mind wasn't on the paperwork or even on work at all. I couldn't stop thinking about this morning with Sylvie. Apparently, I wasn't hiding my thoughts too well, because Garcia was soon at my side, leaning against her desk.

"What's her name?" she asked, sighing.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Don't you play dumb with me Derek Morgan, you've had that same goofy smile on your face for the past three hours. You're obviously not thinking about FD-204s," she replied, giving me a knowing look. (**FD-204s are investigative reports.)**

"Baby Girl, you know I love you," I began, "But do you really have to know everything about my personal life?"

"As your best friend, I'm pretty sure that's in my job description," Penelope replied, smiling.

"I don't want you going around telling everyone, but I have a date tomorrow night with a CIU agent," I admitted.

I could tell that Penelope's mind was going a mile a minute, trying to figure out who it was I was going on a date with.

"The only person in Cherie's unit whose single is Sylvie Runningwolf," Penelope said before her mouth dropped open, "It's her isn't it?!"

"Now don't go spreading it around," I warned, "I don't want to make a big deal about it."

"She is really something, you know," Penelope told me, "And not just her looks."

"What do you mean Garcia," I asked, wanting to know what she was talking about.

"I'm sure you'll find out from her," she replied, "I wouldn't want to ruin it for you, Handsome."

I spent the rest of my time at the office wondering what in the world Garcia had meant when she talked about Sylvie. I was excited that she had finally said yes, even if I coerced her into it. I wanted to get to know her better and find out what made her seem so special to me.

* * *

Sylvie's POV

When I got to work, I was faced with a large stack of files on my desk that apparently needed my immediate attention. I got to work, sitting in my office, trying to focus, but my thoughts kept drifting to Derek. He seemed like a really nice guy and I wanted to get to know him, but that part of me still didn't want to get hurt if it didn't work out. I tried to forget about him so I could focus on filing these reports, but I obviously wasn't doing a good job, because just as I was beginning to focus again, Danielle walked in.

"What's his name?" she asked, sitting down in the chair in front of my desk and crossing one leg over the other.

"Excuse me?" I retorted.

"Look Sylvie, I may not have the best history with men, but I can tell when someone's lost in thought about one," Danielle persisted, "So what's his name?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "I sort of have a date tomorrow night with...Derek Morgan."

"Really?" Danielle replied, looking over some of my finished reports, with that "mother-knows-all" look on her face.

"Is it really that surprising?" I asked, knowing the answer before I asked it.

"You haven't been on a date since you joined the team," Danielle said, "All I'm saying is that I'm happy for you. He's a nice guy."

"Thanks," I replied, as she walked out of my office.

I sighed, still not being able to stop thinking about Derek. I wanted to have a good time tomorrow night, but another part of me was telling me to protect my heart and not go. I had always put up walls if people got too close. The only people I was close to now was a select group of people, and even then, it had taken me years to fully trust my team. Regardless, I planned on throwing caution to the wind and having an all-around good time tomorrow night. Like Danielle said, Derek was a nice enough guy, and, unlike the rest of the world, would understand why I loved my job.

I finished all the files that had been on my desk by three, and after a team meeting to discuss budgets and reports, I was headed home early. I took the elevator, which brought back the memories of my conversation with Derek. I smiled slightly, able to think freely since I was the elevator's only occupant. The doors opened and I walked into the lobby, only to run smack-dab into Derek and a plump blonde-haired woman, who I recognized from passings in the halls and the lobby as the BAU's Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia.

"Sorry," I apologized, now flustered as I was in his presence.

Derek and I stood there, both not sure what to say with Penelope there, but thankfully, she cut in.

"I don't think we've officially met," she began, "I'm Penelope Garcia."

"Sylvie Runningwolf," I replied, "It's nice to meet you."

"So, I hear that you two have a big date tomorrow," Penelope said, a large smile on her face.

"Yeah," I replied, smiling, "Well, I better get home. It was really nice to meet you Penelope. I'll see you tomorrow night Derek."

I turned and began walking towards the doors when I felt someone looking at me. I looked over my shoulder discreetly and saw Derek looking at me with a smile on his face. I turned my head back, now seriously blushing like a giddy teenage girl. I had never felt these butterflies in my stomach before. I hadn't exactly had a "normal" childhood, which caused me to not date, at all. I left the FBI building with a built-up self esteem and was actually excited for my date the following evening.

* * *

Derek's POV

I had been walking with Penelope after our late lunch back to the BAU. We were headed towards the elevator when its doors opened and Sylvie walked out and ran into us. She apologized and Penelope introduced herself, which was fine, until my Baby Girl made one fatal mistake. She said that she'd heard about our big date tomorrow night. I could tell that caught Sylvie off guard when she tensed up. She replied with a quick, "Yeah," before saying she had to leave and walking away. As she walked away, Penelope entered the elevator, but I found myself still looking at Sylvie as she walked away. I myself was caught off guard when she looked over her shoulder and saw me looking at her. Before she quickly turned her head back, I thought I saw a hint of a blush come to her face. I was brought out of my daze by Penelope's voice, calling to me. I quickly got into the elevator, trying to pretend like nothing had happened.

"Could you have been any more obvious?" Penelope asked, looking at me and giggling.

I didn't have any words to follow that, so I just smiled and shook my head.

"You totally like her," Penelope said, "Just don't screw this amazing opportunity up."

I did not want to screw it up. I knew this could be my one and only chance to prove to Sylvie that I was different and worth getting to know. I wanted to get to know her, and, maybe even be with her. Something about her was different from the other girls I usually went out with, and I wanted to discover what that was.

* * *

_There are two kinds of sparks, the one that goes off with a hitch like a match, but it burns quickly. The other is the kind that needs time, but when the flame strikes... it's eternal, don't forget that.~__**Timothy Oliveira**_

* * *

**So what do you think? I hope you enjoyed the second chapter of An Untraditional Love Story! Please review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions for future chapters! ~Kelsey**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles! You are a lifesaver!**

**Another shout-out to Lenika08, Miss Mcgee, Wainwright, smilin steph, and Buxom Bard for their amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

***Just a heads-up. This chapter is mostly going to be in Sylvie's POV, and a lot of the chapters are going to be mostly her POV. There will be a few snippets of Derek mixed in!***

* * *

Chapter Three

_First dates make your heart flutter. ~Sam Mathers_

* * *

_Sylvie's POV_

I went on my run on Saturday morning, not running into Derek as I'd hoped. I did some grocery shopping afterward, picking up some cat food and other essentials. I also picked up my dry cleaning and then remembered that I had nothing to wear tonight on my date. I went back home, put my groceries and dry cleaning away, and then grabbed my phone and called Danielle.

"Cherie," she said as she answered.

"Hey, it's me," I said reluctantly, "I need a favor."

"Let me guess, you don't have anything to wear tonight?" Danielle speculated.

"Yeah," I replied, "Do you have any plans for the afternoon?"

"You know the answer to that one," Danielle said, "I'll pick you up in an hour."

* * *

I got dressed in a purple sundress and silver ballet flats before Danielle arrived, and we were off on our shopping trip.

We went to a small, vintage boutique that I frequented quite a bit. They always got in new shipments of dresses from small-town designers. Once inside, Danielle chose what seemed like a dozen different dresses for me to try on, and then corralled me into a dressing room.

The first few didn't work at all. The colors didn't work with my skin tone, made me look even paler than I already was. The next few just didn't seem right, even after I showed them to Danielle. I went through the rest of the dresses, until there was only one left. I put it on without even really looking at it. Once I had it on, I turned to look in the full length mirror, surprised at what I saw. The dramatic layers of blue, floral organza, magenta satin, and matching tulle created a built-in crinoline that lifted the full-skirted, belted dress and elevated the style of the dress in general. The floral print and light pink and blue colors really made my irises look pinker than usual, but not in a bad way, and my skin looked illuminated, like it glowed. I knew that this was the one.

Danielle agreed, freaking out when I stepped out of the dressing room. I purchased it, spending a bit more than I'd wanted to, but overall, satisfied with my purchase, and excited for tonight. Danielle insisted on taking me out to a late lunch. We talked about work, like we usually did, and how we wished the other females on the team could be there. You see, the rest of the team were married with kids. Danielle and I were the only team members who were single. I had never been married, and I'd never had a serious boyfriend. Sure, I'd gone on a few casual dates, but the guys were looking for commitment, and that was something that I couldn't give them.

I headed home after the lunch, still having six hours before Derek would pick me up. I still had no idea where we were going but I was surprisingly excited. Derek seemed different than the guys I had previously gone on dates with. He understood my job and why I loved it so much.

* * *

I spent a bit of time reading some more Kurt Vonnegut books, four to be exact, while cuddling with Lux and Puma on the couch. When six o'clock chimed on my antique grandfather clock, I showered and put on my robe, then carefully dried and straightened my hair. I put it into a messy side bun that still, somehow, managed to looked elegant. I applied some minimal makeup before slipping on my new dress and silver kitten heels. Sighing as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I still couldn't believe that I was doing this. I looked at the clock again, and I was still fifteen minutes early. I grabbed my silver clutch and pulled out my phone, dialing an all-too familiar number. I was greeted a few seconds later by the tired sounding voice of my daughter.

My daughter, the greatest gift that I had ever received. But, let me explain. I am only thirty-four years old, but when I was sixteen, I went to the movies with my friends, a normal teenage outing. What I didn't expect that day, was to be raped by someone that I barely knew. I immediately told my parents, and the person who'd raped me, an eighteen year old named Elijah Banks, originally Silverbear, but he'd been adopted when he was young, was arrested and sent to prison for ten years. A few months later, I found out that I was pregnant, and made the decision to keep the baby, with the support of my parents. Seven months later, I was holding my beautiful baby girl Lilly in my arms. I kept the father unlisted on the birth certificate, not wanting to give that monster anything. When I turned eighteen, I went into the military, and my mom watched Lilly while I was in basic training. I continued in the Army for three years before I retired. I went into the FBI Academy after that and the rest you already know.

My daughter Lilly was so amazingly bright. She started walking at seven months old and was always the smartest in her classes. She started playing the cello at the age of six, and after receiving a full-ride scholarship, she began attending Sibelius Academy in Finland, one of the most prestigious musical performance schools in the world. I had always been proud of her, but the responses from other people hadn't been too great. Our looks made people's thoughts waver about me being her mother. Her skin was tan, and her hair and eyes were both dark brown, a large contrast to my pale skin and white-blonde hair. I didn't tell Derek about Lilly and the circumstances leading to her conception. There were just some things about my life that I wanted to keep private, some walls that needed to stay up.

* * *

"Hey Mom," Lilly answered groggily.

"You're still up?" I questioned, knowing that it was well after two a.m. In Finland.

"Yeah, Lyydia, Katja, and I are working on our ensemble," she replied, "It has to be perfect for class tomorrow."

"And that is why you were always the perfect daughter," I said with a smile on my face.

"So, when is your date coming to pick you up?" Lilly asked, as I heard oohs and aahs in the background.

"He should be here any minute," I answered.

"Are you nervous yet?" she questioned.

"Only slightly terrified," I replied, knowing that talking to my daughter was like talking to a friend.

"From what you've told me about him, and from what I read about him online..." Lilly began to say.

"You looked him up online?" I said, shocked.

"Hey, he was going on a date with my mom. I had to make sure he was okay," Lilly rationalized, "Don't worry, I approve."

"I'm so glad that my eighteen year old daughter approves of my date," I said sarcastically, "Don't worry. This was a one time thing. This will probably be our first and last date."

"Don't make any hasty decisions Mom," Lilly scolded, "He seems like a really nice guy. You could use someone in your life, especially since I'm not at home anymore."

I sighed, knowing that she was right. My daughter could always prove me wrong. I was about to make a defensive comeback, but before I could, the doorbell rang.

"He's here, I'd better go," I said, grabbing my clutch.

"Have fun," Lilly said sternly, "I mean it. Call me afterward with all the details."

* * *

We said our goodbyes and I hung up, slipping my phone into my clutch, and looking at my reflection in the mirror by the door. I still couldn't believe that I was doing this. Although, I had to admit, a lot of people in the FBI would've killed to go on a date with Derek Morgan. To them, he was basically a piece of meat. To me, he was different. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Immediately, my cats came running and perched themselves on the back of my couch. I turned my head towards them before turning my head back towards the now open door. I slightly gasped at the sight of Derek. He looked different, wearing a grey button down shirt and black slacks, holding a bouquet of lilies in his hand.

"Wow," Derek said, looking at me. That made me blush slightly, as he held out the flowers and I graciously took them.

"These are for you," he said, trying to regain his composure.

"Thank you," I said, "How did you know that lilies are my favorite?"

"I guess I'm just that good," Derek said with a smile.

"I'll just put these in some water," I said, "Come in."

I had taken the liberty of taking down the pictures of Lilly and me. I didn't want Derek to know yet. I was entitled to keep some things private.

I walked into the kitchen, got a vase down, filled it with water, and set the flowers inside. I picked up the vase and put it in the center of my small, round dining room table. I returned to the living room, where Derek was checking out my bookcases.

"So I see you're a Kurt Vonnegut fan," Derek concluded, gesturing towards the rows of his books that I had.

"What can I say?" I admitted, "He's a brilliant writer."

We both laughed and walked out the door. He opened the passenger side car door for me, a sign of a true gentleman. As we began the drive, I noticed that we were heading out of the city. Confused, I was about to ask where we were going when Derek began speaking.

* * *

"So, you're a cat lady, huh?" he asked, smiling at me.

"There's only two of them," I responded, "It's not like I'm a hoarder."

"I'm more of a dog person myself," Derek replied, "I have a German Shepherd named Clooney. He's a retired K9 Unit bomb squad dog."

"Wow," I said, not knowing what else to say, "Well, I rescued Lux and Puma from a high-kill shelter in D.C. Lux was in a house fire and she lost her left eye. Puma was hit by a car and had to have her right front leg amputated."

"That is an incredible story," Derek said, as we continued to make our way into the country.

"So, where exactly are we going?" I questioned, knowing we were now in Virginia.

"You'll see," Derek replied, "It's a surprise."

We drove for a little while longer, talking about work and college and a lot of other minor things before we pulled up in front of a large iron gate. It was one of the older ones, so Derek got out and unlocked it, before we drove through it and up the long windy driveway. When a house finally came into view, I was amazed. It was a gorgeous old house that looked like it was undergoing or had undergone some serious renovations. It looked to be an old plantation house, considering all the land and rolling hills that I could see behind it.

* * *

Derek finally parked in the round-a-bout driveway and rushed to open my door before I had the chance to think about opening it myself. I looked around, not knowing exactly what to think about this place.

"Whose house is this?" I asked, wanting to know the nature of the visit.

"Mine," Derek said, as we walked towards the front door.

"This is your house?" I questioned.

"Well, I buy old homes that need some TLC and in my spare time, I fix them up and sell them," Derek explained.

"Smart man," I said, "Investing in real estate is a good business."

"It can be," Derek replied, opening the front door, "This property has taken me the most time, and I'm still not finished restoring it to its former glory."

We walked into the entryway and, with the small amount of knowledge that I had about homes and architecture, I noticed the hardwood floors that had to be original, the graceful columns and intricate woodwork that graced every surface.

"I bought this place a year ago," Derek began, "And you should've seen it then. The owners let it go to ruins and it got foreclosed on. I got it for a steal, but there was so much work to do. I come out here whenever the team doesn't have a case. Knocking down walls is a good way to release some frustration and painting helps me relax.

"Sounds like a good way to escape from everything," I said, as we continued to walk around the house as Derek pointed out things to me and I oohed and ahhed.

* * *

We went upstairs then and through the master bedroom suite onto a large deck that had a table set for two on it.

"This is called the sunset viewing deck," Derek explained, "I rebuilt it with my own two hands after I discovered termites had eaten away at the structural supports."

"And you cooked," I said, sounding surprised as he pulled out my chair for me and I sat down.

"I had a little bit of help," Derek said, "But I know my way around the kitchen. That's one thing my mom made sure I knew how to do before I went off to college. She told me that she wouldn't have her son eating fast food every night."

"How charming," I said, smiling, "A man who can take down serial killers and roast a chicken."

Dinner was amazing. I had no idea that Derek was such a good cook. We talked a lot and, surprisingly, it seemed easy to talk to him. I found myself actually having a good time. The troubles and problems and crazy things that had been happening lately melted from my mind and I focused on Derek and getting to know him. He told me about his mom and his sisters in Chicago. I told him about my mom, who still lived in the area, and my dad, who passed away when I was fourteen. We talked about cases that we had worked on in the past. I learned that his team had recently shrunk by one member. Emily Prentiss, whom I'd heard of (hadn't everyone?), had transferred to England, and I could see how much Derek cared about her and missed her. He told me that she had helped him with the house, in the early stages, before she'd moved.

* * *

Before I knew it, dinner was over, and after watching the sunset, we began the fifteen minute drive back to my house. Again, we made small talk on the drive, but this time, we discussed the near-death experiences we'd had on the job. I myself had been shot numerous times, all non-life-threatening, and had to take down an assailant more times than I could count. Derek had been shot, pushed through a window, driven a bomb-filled ambulance out of New York, and taken down way more assailants, or UNSUBs as he liked to call them, than me.

But, soon, we pulled up in front of my house and I found myself sad about it. I had had a really good time, finally having someone to talk to that wasn't one of my cats or my daughter or someone on my team. Heck, I didn't even usually make conversation with the bag boy at the grocery store. I preferred to keep to myself but somehow, Derek changed that about me. He opened the car door and walked me to my front door. And, I knew all too well what would come next. I had had my fair share of good night kisses, most too horrifying to even mention.

Before I knew it, his fingers slid down my cheek, soft and warm, a caress like none I'd ever felt before – and certainly not one of a friendly acquaintance. I could barely draw in a breath as the warmth from his touch traveled over my face. He was so near, his breath fanned over my chin. But, unlike how I thought he would act, he seemed hesitant, nervous even.

"I'd like to kiss you, Sylvie," Derek said, eyes locked on mine.

My gaze, however, locked on his mouth. A kiss? From him? I tried to reply, but my words stuck like cotton in the roof of my mouth. I was stepping onto a ledge, willingly diving into a place from which I could never return.

There was no preparation for this need to be near him, this internal warmth radiating through me as if my very skin was ablaze with a rosy hue. His face drew so close my vision blurred. I couldn't move. I could barely think.

His lips felt soft and feather-light and yet, their touch quaked through me until I was consumed and shaking.

But, all too soon, I found my walls coming back, something inside me telling me that it could never work, that I had to protect myself from getting hurt. I found myself pulling away from the one person who'd made me feel alive for the first time in my life. As my eyes met his, I could see the hurt and confused look in his eyes and knowing that I'd caused that killed me.

"I have to go," I stammered, opening my front door and taking a step in before turning back around to face the man who I was running away from, "I had an amazing time tonight. Thank you Derek."

I stepped inside and shut the door, the realization of what I'd just done finally hitting me. Tears blurred my vision as I slid down the length of my door and curled myself into a ball, sobbing. I wanted more than anything to be able to let someone in, but something always stopped me.

* * *

After a few hours of crying and several missed calls from Danielle and Lilly, I changed into a pair of sweats and an FBI t-shirt before walking into my kitchen and seeing that dreaded envelope on the counter. It had appeared on my doorstep yesterday, something I hadn't been expecting. How had he found me? I had changed my phone number and moved, leaving no forwarding address, thinking that he would think I had fled from the place where so many bad memories existed. But I had decided to stay, thinking that I'd outsmarted him, as he hadn't tried to contact me in years. But there it was when I woke up in the morning and went out for the paper. He wanted me to meet him tomorrow at the Lincoln Memorial so we could talk.

I needed to face him, to show him that I wasn't afraid of him anymore. So, I decided to go, even if it meant violating the restraining order I'd filed years ago. I needed to end this, once and for all.

* * *

"_You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do. ~Eleanor Roosevelt_

* * *

**I am SO sorry for not updating in such a long time! School and dance team have consumed my life, but now, dance team is over which will give me a lot more time for writing!**

**So what do you think? I hope you enjoyed the third chapter of An Untraditional Love Story! Please review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions for future chapters! ~Kelsey**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles! You are a lifesaver!**

**Another shout-out to Lenika08, Miss McGee, and MorganMimi for their amazing reviews!**

* * *

Chapter Four

_Nothing travels faster than light, with the possible exception of bad news, which follows its own rules. ~Douglas Adams_

* * *

Derek's POV

Monday came, and I hadn't heard from Sylvie since Saturday night, the night of our date. I knew that I probably shouldn't have been so forward in kissing her, but I can't describe the feeling that came over me. Something about Sylvie was different. Before, I didn't want to be in a committed relationship, flings had been enough for me. But, something about Sylvie made me want to change that.

I had texted her a few times, and called a couple times too, with no answer. So, reluctantly, I got up Monday morning, after an urgent call from Garcia telling me that we had a case and that I needed to get in ASAP. In all honesty, though, I wasn't really thinking about the case. I couldn't get Sylvie off my mind. I mean, I hadn't been this lovesick since high school.

I made it to work by eight and the whole place seemed like a disaster area. I didn't particularly listen to what everyone was saying, or to the hustle and bustle at all really. I walked into the round table room and was the first one there. The rest of the team gathered in shortly after. Hotch was the last to come in, and he wasn't alone. Six people filed in behind him and I immediately recognized them as the CIU. Just as I realized this, Hotch finally spoke up.

* * *

"As you may have noticed, we aren't alone today. This is Unit Chief Danielle Cherie of the CIU, and these are SSAs Athena Wrenne, Lora Lennox, Nicolai Crawford, and Thatcher Pierce, and their technical analyst Jax Dupree," Hotch introduced. The rest of the team politely nodded and smiled. I, however, noticed Sylvie's absence and was starting to get worried.

"The CIU needs our help and the director has authorized us to not accept any cases until we solve this one," Hotch said.

"What case is that?" Rossi asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"Well, according to Agent Cherie, she believes that a member of her team may be in imminent danger," Hotch began, "Supervisory Special Agent Sylvie Runningwolf hasn't been heard from since Saturday night. According to her team, it is very out of character, and calls haven't been answered. They would like us to assist them in assessing things, and since this could be a missing FBI agent, the director wants to get everything cleared up as soon as possible."

* * *

I couldn't breathe. Something inside me must've snapped. Sylvie hadn't been heard from since our date. I thought back to the phone calls I had made to her and the texts that had gone unanswered.

"Morgan, are you alright?" Hotch asked, as I snapped out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, Hotch, I'm fine," I replied, trying to act as normal as possible.

"Good," Hotch answered, "I want you to accompany Agent Cherie and I to Sylvie's apartment. They haven't searched it yet."

We made it to Sylvie's home faster than I'd wanted to. Penelope had given me a shocked, yet sympathetic look as I headed out with Hotch and Cherie. I didn't have time to talk to her, otherwise, I might have broken down. Getting out of the SUV, I could see that her door was cracked open. Seeing this, all three of us drew our weapons and cautiously made our way towards the door. On the ground by the door, and on part of the door itself, was blood.

* * *

As we entered the house, I turned towards the dining room and kitchen, while Cherie and Hotch went towards the living room. I walked into the dining room and noticed a broken glass vase and the lilies that I had given Sylvie on the floor, drooping in a puddle of water. A few framed photos were also on the ground, glass broken. The faucet in the sink was still running, and it was filled with dishes. A broken plate was in shattered pieces on the kitchen floor. Amid the shards of glass was an iPod with the headphones still inserted and a purple scarf. I could see that the screen on the iPod was broken, probably from falling.

After making sure the house was clear, we called in the Crime Scene team, and they began to collect evidence and take pictures. The Crime Scene team assured us that they would send us the crime scene photos as soon as they were done, so we headed back to the office. After a very tense drive, me being the tense one, we got back to the office, to find that the photos had arrived just before we had. They were pinned up on several boards in the round table room and just seeing them made me sick. There had been a lot of blood in the kitchen, leaving a trail to the door and outside, suddenly stopping at the sidewalk.

"Alright," Hotch began, but before he could finish, his phone rang.

"What have you got Garcia?" he asked.

"Well sir, like you asked, I accessed Agent Runningwolf's cell phone records. Since you weren't able to find the phone in the house, I was hoping it was on so I could track it, but no such luck. I was, however, able to see that this woman really didn't get out much. Only numbers in her phone are that of her team and then..." Garcia stopped and gasped.

"What is it Garcia?" Hotch asked, sounding concerned.

"There is one more phone number sir," Garcia said, as I cringed, "It has called and texted Agent Runningwolf several times over the past forty-eight hours and over the past few weeks."

"Well, do your magic Garcia, who is it?" Hotch asked impatiently.

"The number belongs to Derek's cell phone sir," Garcia said, sounding professional, which was very unlike her.

* * *

Everyone in the room then turned towards me, and my fake macho bravado that I'd put on had melted away.

"Morgan, is there something that you need to tell us?" Hotch asked, giving me his signature glare.

"Before you all start jumping to conclusions, I haven't seen Sylvie, er, I mean, Agent Runningwolf since Saturday evening," I began.

"The last phone call that Sylvie made was at 11:54 pm to a long distance number outside the United States," Garcia stated, as we could all hear her furiously typing, "I will find out who it is and call you back ASAP. Garcia out."

"Agent Morgan," Cherie said as her and her team entered the room, "You owe us all an explanation. My second-in-command has gone missing, and is likely in danger, and you were one of the last people to see her.

"Look, we met a few weeks ago in the elevator," I started to say, "That was the day that it broke and I was late. We talked and she dropped her business card after turning me down for a date. I wouldn't take no for an answer though. I called her, we talked some more, and then she finally agreed to go out with me when we went out for coffee after an early-morning run."

"What were you two doing Saturday night?" JJ asked.

"I took her to my plantation house out in the country, the one I'm renovating. We had dinner and talked, got to know each other better, and watched the sunset. I took her home, end of story," I said, purposefully leaving out the part about me kissing her goodnight.

* * *

Before anyone could say anything else, Hotch's phone rang again, and he answered it, putting it on speaker.

"Sir, I was able to track down that number. It belongs to a dorm room at Sibelius Academy in Finland. It's this uber-prestigious performing arts college. It's one of the best in the world, from the research that I've done," Garcia started to ramble.

"Were you able to isolate the room number Garcia?" Reid asked.

"Yes, and the students staying in that room are," Garcia said, furiously typing away again, "Lyydia Ahlstad, a nineteen year old Swedish violinist, Katja Smirnov a twenty year old pianist from Russia, and, oh boy."

"What is it Garcia?" Hotch asked, sounding as confused as the rest of us were.

"The third girl in the dorm room is eighteen year old Lilly Runningwolf, from D.C. She's a cellist," Garcia stated, her voice wavering.

"A younger sister maybe, that she keeps in contact with?" Rossi speculated.

"No," Cherie said, interrupting, "I know who Agent Runningwolf was talking to."

"And who would that be Agent Cherie?" Hotch asked, as we all turned to face her.

"Lilly Runningwolf is her daughter," Cherie said, dropping a bombshell on all of us.

* * *

"Morgan, were you aware of this?" Rossi asked me, as I stood, my mouth gaping open.

"She never...told me," I managed to stammer.

"She didn't like to share her personal information, especially the circumstances leading to her daughter's birth," Cherie said.

"If we're going to find her, we need to know everything Agent Cherie," Hotch said sternly, "You can't withhold any information, no matter what promise you made."

"When Agent Runningwolf, Sylvie, was sixteen, she was raped by someone she barely knew. The man was charged and sent to prison. It resulted in a pregnancy though, and with the support of her family, she decided to keep the baby," Cherie explained, "When she went into the military, her mother watched Lilly until she got back."

"We're going to need to contact her as soon as possible," Hotch said, "She'll probably want to get back here as quickly as she can."

"I'll have Jax call her right now," Cherie said, as Jax Dupree, the technical analyst, hurriedly left the room.

"Do you have anything else Garcia?" Hotch asked, while we all still tried to comprehend the newly found out information.

"There is one more thing that I just found sir," Garcia said, "I just looked up Sylvie Runningwolf's case against her rapist and I found out that his name is Elijah Banks. He was born Elijah Silverbear, a Cherokee Indian, but was given up for adoption as an infant. At the time of the rape, he was nineteen years old, and he received ten years in prison. Since then, he's managed to get a few drunk and disorderly conduct charges added on to his rap sheet as well as an aggravated assault charge six months ago."

"He sounds like a person that we should talk too," JJ said, "Do you have a current address Garcia?"

"It looks like he's stayed local since his jail-time," Garcia said, typing, "He is currently living in D.C. 9642 Ackerman Drive, Apartment 3C."

* * *

Cherie's phone rang then, and she stepped out of the room to answer It.

"Alright thank you Garcia," Hotch responded, "Good work."

Cherie came back into the room, a worried look on her face.

"That was the Crime Scene team," she began, "They were finishing up and found something that they think we need to take a look at."

We all started to gather out things and get ready to leave, but Hotch pulled me back into the round table room.

"Morgan, I want you to stay here and help Anderson with those reports," Hotch assigned, "Strauss is expecting them by the end of the week."

"Hotch, you're not taking me off this case," I stated.

"Morgan, you're too emotionally involved in this case," Hotch retorted, "And I don't want it to affect your judgement or ability to do your job."

"Hotch," I started to say, "I'm going to work this case and I'm going to find her. I have to."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"If at any time, I think feel like you're too emotionally invested, you're off," Hotch ordered.

"I understand," I replied, "Thank you Hotch."

"Now, we're all going to see what CSU found at her house, and then Cherie, you, and I will go interview Banks," Hotch said.

* * *

The drive back to Sylvie's house was filled with anxiety, mostly from me. When we entered the house again, the CSU team was gathered around the dining room table.

"Agents, wish we could have met under better circumstances," CSU Tech Agent Sharp said, as the rest of her team excused themselves and filed out of the house with their equipment.

"What did you find, exactly," Cherie asked.

"Well, when we finishing up our analysis and search of the residence, one of the techs-in-training found these in a box under the bed, along with a couple of unhappy cats," Agent Sharp replied, handing us a large box full of letters, some opened, some unopened.

As we sorted through them, some of them were postmarked dating back almost twenty years ago, eighteen to be exact. The return address was also interesting. On the oldest letters, it was a prison and inmate number. Upon checking it with Banks' information, it was a match. He had been writing her letters for eighteen years, ever since he'd raped her. Feeling awful about invading her privacy, but knowing that it might be the only way we could find her, we began opening and reading the letters.

* * *

This guy was seriously messed up. In the old letters that we read, he kept telling her how much he loved her and how he was angry with her for lying to the police about the rape. The dates on the letters became later and later, stretching over an eighteen year period. The last letter had actually been opened, probably because it didn't have a return address and Sylvie's name and address were typed instead of handwritten. The date on it was from a few days ago. It said:

_Sylvie my love,_

_Don't you know how much I care about you? You need to stop ignoring me. All I want is for us to be a family. 18 years ago, I was in love with you, but afraid to do anythng about it. I admit, raping you probably wasn't the best way to handle It, but because of that, Lilly is here and she is so beautiful. I visited her in Finland and she is truly spectacular. Please meet me at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, 11 AM. I'll be waiting darling._

_Love, E_

Then, underneath the handwritten letter, the handwriting changed to what must be Sylvie's. It displayed a phone number that had been circled. 212-555-0198.

I quickly dialed Garcia's number, and, thankfully, she answered on the second ring.

"What can I do for you, my chocolate thunder god?" she said flirtatiously.

"Hey Baby Girl, is there a phone number listed for Banks?" I asked.

"No landline, but it looks like he does have a cell phone. Number is 212-555-0198," Penelope replied.

"Thank you," I said, about to hang up.

"Derek, wait, are you okay?" she asked, and I could hear the concern in her voice.

"I will be when we find her," I answered, before hanging up.

* * *

I showed Hotch the letter, and this meeting that he suggested definitely made our suspicions grow.

"Alright," Hotch began, "Cherie, you, Morgan, and I will be going to interview Banks. I want the rest of you to head back and analyze everything in these letters, and I mean everything."

"Hotch, we forgot about one thing, or should I say, two things," Rossi said, motioning towards the two cats that had now entered the room.

"We'll have to figure out somewhere where they can stay, but for now, they have enough food and water," Hotch stated, "After we talk to Banks, Cherie, Morgan, and I will swing back here and figure out something."

We got into the black SUV and began the drive to Banks' apartment, all the while, the image of Sylvie would not leave my mind. All over her house were pictures of her and Lilly together, pictures that had mysteriously not been up when I'd been at her house. The only possible explanation was that she didn't want me to know. I sighed, knowing that I had to find her. I didn't know what I was feeling. All I knew was that we had to find Sylvie.

* * *

_Sylvie's POV_

Pain. Rushing through my entire body. Head feeling like it weighs as much as an elephant. Barely able to move.

_**Flashback**_

I was washing dishes, listening to my iPod, trying to not think about Derek on Sunday morning. Elijah wanted me to meet him, but I knew that it wasn't a good idea, so I blocked his number from my phone and was planning on changing the locks as soon as possible. My thoughts shot back to Derek when all of the sudden, I was being choked from behind with my scarf. I was able to elbow the unknown assailant in the solar plexus before whipping myself out of his grasp, trying to remember everything from Derek's self-defense and hand-to-hand combat classes. I dashed towards the dining room, only for the man to run after me. Grabbing the only weapon I could find, I threw the vase of lilies that Derek had given me at him, the glass shattering when it came in contact with his head.

I tried to run towards the living room, where my gun and cell phone were, but the man grabbed me and slammed my head into a framed photo of Lilly and me. Hearing the glass crunch, pain shot through my head, but I still tried to fight. He kept banging my head against the wall until finally, I couldn't fight anymore, and everything went cold and black. The last two things that went through my mind were Lilly...and Derek.

_**End Flashback**_

Now, I was in a room with only a few small windows that let in a little bit of light, but I couldn't get up. My wrists and ankles were bound with braided rope. I didn't know how long I'd been here or even where I was. All I wanted was to get out of here. I knew that Danielle and the team probably already knew that I was missing. They'd probably already been to the house too. Knowing them, they would've called in for reinforcements, which meant the BAU. Hopefully, they would find me before whoever these people were that took me ended up killing me.

* * *

"_A woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself." ~Susan B. Anthony_

**I am SO sorry for not updating in such a long time! School and basketball have consumed my life. Hopefully, soon, my life will return to a normal pace and I can have regular updates for ya'all!**

**So what do you think? I hope you enjoyed the fourth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story! Please review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions for future chapters! ~Kelsey**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles! You are a lifesaver!**

**Another shout-out to Lenika08, Miss McGee, and MorganMimi for their amazing reviews!**

* * *

Chapter Five

_Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. ~Unknown Author_

* * *

Derek's POV

We arrived in a rundown part of DC that was known to have gang and drug activity. In this type of neighborhood, we knew we had to keep our eyes and ears open and have each others' backs. When we reached Banks' apartment door, the door was partially open, leading us to draw our weapons and stealthily approach the door. We followed procedure and announced that we were FBI. When no noise was heard from inside, we made our way inside.

Unexpectedly, we found a person matching Elijah Banks' description passed out on the floor. He was breathing, so Hotch and I flipped him over, and I immediately the smell of alcohol on his breath hit me like a brick wall. As we helped him to his feet he began mumbling something no one could understand.

"I knew you'd be coming for me," he said, finally something we could understand.

We brought Banks' back to the BAU as Hotch and Cherie began questioning him. The rest of the BAU team and the CIU team were watching in the observation room.

"You said that you know we'd be coming for you," Hotch said, "What did you mean by that?"

"Dude, I was drunk out of my mind," Banks said, "I was drowning myself in my own pity. I didn't know what I was saying."

"Tell us about Sylvie Runningwolf," Cherie said, placing a picture of Sylvie in front of Banks.

"I just wanted us to be a family, that's all," Banks said, tears coming to his eyes, "I loved her."

Hearing him say that, I really had to keep my emotions in check so that I wouldn't blow a fuse. I clenched my fists and kept my arms at my sides as the questioning continued.

* * *

"When was the last time you saw Miss Runningwolf, Mr. Banks?" Cherie asked, her arms crossed.

"Oh, I'm always watching her," Banks said, a sick smile on his face, "I'm keeping her safe."

"Well, you didn't do too good of a job," Hotch cut in, "Sylvie Runningwolf is missing."

"And you think I know where she is," Banks assumed, propping his legs up on the table.

Before anyone could do anything, his legs crashed down and Cherie's hand was gripping his throat.

"Don't make yourself comfortable here, you sick pervert," Cherie said in a stern, military style voice, "You know something and you are going to tell me if you want to leave here with all your organs and extremities intact."

Now that made us all try to hold back our laughter.

"Is she always this...honest?" JJ asked.

"When it's personal, Danielle will get to the bottom of it, no matter what," Agent Lennox said quietly.

"We have a letter that you wrote to Sylvie telling her to meet you at the Lincoln Memorial on the morning she went missing," Cherie said, as Banks nursed his injured neck like a scolded puppy, "Did she?"

"No, she stood me up," Banks said angrily, "That's why I was so drunk. I was drowning my sorrows."

"So you're telling me you haven't seen her in the past two days?" Cherie questioned.

"The last time I saw her was Saturday night," Banks said, a frown now plastered on his face, "She was coming home from a date with some good-looking guy. I watched her go inside her house after they kissed, and that was that."

* * *

"So you admit that you were stalking her?" Hotch persisted.

"If loving someone so much that you have to see them is considered stalking, then yes," Banks said, a dreamy look on his face.

"We're done here," Cherie said, looking at Banks with disgust, "I hope you meet your real soul mate in prison."

Hotch and Cherie then joined us in the observation room.

"Well that was pointless," Cherie said, coming and sitting down in a chair, her hands massaging her temples.

My phone rang and after I read the caller I.D. I immediately answered and put it on speaker, "What do you got Baby Girl?"

"Well, the lab results came back with the blood samples taken from Sylvie's home," Garcia began, "Thankfully, the majority of the blood was not Sylvie's. Thirty-five percent of it matched Sylvie's blood type and the DNA was consistent with hers. I am currently running the other DNA and the fingerprints that we got from the door."

"Anything else Garcia?" Hotch asked, as we all were anxiously awaiting the results.

"Just one thing sir," Garcia stated, "I did a little research about Sylvie's family to see if anything was a red flag. Right after Sylvie's grandfather and grandmother had Sylvie's mom, they left the Cherokee tribe that they had been living with on a reservation in Virginia. Through my intelligent ways, I found a record of a letter that her grandfather sent to his friend in the tribe. He said that they couldn't stay and raise their daughter around the evil ways that the tribe had taken to."

"Looks like it's going to be a late night," JJ said, as we all looked at the clock on the wall, now reading 11 PM.

"There's nothing else that we're going to be able to do tonight," Hotch stated as he started gathering up what little of the case files that we had, "I think it would be best if we all started fresh in the morning."

* * *

Everyone got up and went to gather their things, but I remained seated, surrounded by the boxes of evidence that we'd gotten from Sylvie's house. Hotch was the last one to leave, but before he did, he turned around and noticed I wasn't following behind him.

"Morgan, there's nothing you can do here," Hotch said, "The best thing you can do for her is go home and get some sleep. We'll start again in the morning."

"I can't do that Hotch," I said defiantly, "I can't just sit around and do nothing when she's out there with God-knows-who in danger!"

Hotch closed the door, and I could see the surprised faces of the team before the door was completely shut.

"Morgan, I need your head to be in this," Hotch said calmly, "You're one of the best agents on this team and settling down and focusing is the only way we're going to find her."

I held my head in my hands as I kept my emotions in check.

"We have to find her Hotch," I said, my voice wavering.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Hotch asked, taking a seat next to me. This was the first time today that our usually stoic Unit Chief became human again.

"There's just something about her," I trailed on, "I can't lose her Hotch, not now."

"Well then, we can't let that happen," Hotch said, grabbing a box of evidence and opening the lid.

"What are you doing Hotch?" I questioned.

"You can't go through all of this yourself," he answered, "And I bet you'll want some company."

"What about Jack?" I asked, "Isn't he expecting you to come home tonight?"

"He's spending the week with Haley's parents," Hotch answered, "I'll call him in the morning. But now, you and I are going to figure out where Sylvie is."

* * *

Sylvie's POV

I awoke from my deep slumber to find myself in the same strange room that I'd been in before. The restraints on my wrists and ankles had started to dig into my skin, causing me extreme discomfort. It didn't help that whenever someone came into my prison, they would end up beating me. So much of my own blood stained the floor of my four-walled cage. My whole body ached and I yearned to go home. So many of my dreams had centered around Derek. I was still mad at myself for stopping the kiss. He was my one chance, my one chance in life to be happy, and I destroyed it. My head was pounding, and as everything began to go black again, the door opened and I heard footsteps. The last thing I thought about before I completely blacked out was Derek and how much I wanted to see his face.

* * *

_Every girl wants to have her knight in shining armor, every single one, whether or not they admit it, to find them and save them from certain death. ~Arianna Leciav, an author on _

* * *

**I am so sorry for not updating in such a long time! And I profusely apologize for the length of this chapter!School has taken up a big chunk of my life, and to top it off, I sprained my wrist and got tendonitis, so typing has been really hard/painful, but I'm doing it for you guys, my faithful readers! Don't worry, the next chapter will definitely be longer!**

**So, what do you guys think? I hope you all enjoyed the fifth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions for future chapters! ~Kelsey**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles! You are a lifesaver!**

**Another shout-out to Lenika 08 and Miss McGee for their amazing reviews!**

* * *

Chapter Six

_You think you want to die but you really just want to be saved._

* * *

Derek's POV

Hotch and I didn't sleep at all. We kept sifting through everything, but turned up nothing that would help us find Sylvie. The sun was now rising and Hotch had gone on a coffee run before the rest of our team and Sylvie's team got here. I was dozing off when I was awoken by my phone ringing.

"Yeah Garcia," I said drowsily, "What is it?"

"How much do you love me?" Garcia asked in a sultry voice.

"Depends on what you've got for me Mama," I replied, now waking up a bit.

"I ran those prints we found on the door," Garcia began to explain, "It took all night but I got a match."

"Who is it?" I asked, as I walked into the bullpen where the rest of the team was waiting anxiously as I put her on speaker.

"Avinash Buzzard," Garcia answered, "Great name I know. He was charged with kidnapping eight years ago. Got a four year sentence, served one, and was released."

"Address Garcia..." Hotch said, more of a command than a question.

"Already ahead of you sir," she said, "He currently resides on a Cherokee reservation in Virginia. Not coincidentally, the same reservation that Sylvie's grandparents left."

"Alright, let's get going," Hotch said, as we all began to gather our stuff.

"Hotch, there's one more thing," Garcia said, stopping us all in our tracks, "This reservation is currently under suspicion of illegally importing weapons from Mexico. ATF is currently running an investigation. They sent in one of their own undercover, Matthew Blakeship, as an armed weapons dealer, but they haven't had contact in a few days."

"How are we going to find out if Sylvie is on the reservation if we can't raid and question Buzzard?" JJ asked.

"We send in one of our own too," I said, "Hotch, I've got a plan."

"And what would that be Morgan?" Hotch said impatiently.

"Send me in undercover," I proposed.

"As what?" Hotch asked.

"I'll go in saying I'm an author writing a book about Cherokee beliefs and life on the reservation," I proceeded to lay out the plan and Hotch finally agreed to it.

* * *

Sylvie's POV

I had finally figured out where I was and who I was taken by. The Cherokee chief's wife had been tasked with taking care of me. She came in, about every few hours from what I could tell, and brought me some meager table scraps and murky water. I was also visited daily by the chief and young men of the tribe. The chief was convinced that since I was an albino, I had to be protected from the evils of the world. He was also convinced that I possessed magical powers, which is why they brought the sick members of the tribe into me and had them touch me. If they were not healed by the next day, I was beaten and tortured. So, consequently, I was beaten almost every single day. They had, at last, untied the braided ropes that had bound my ankles and now let me walk around in my small cage-like room. The chief's wife came in again, just as I was looking out the small, dingy window.

"Get up a-tsi-nv-si-da-s-di **(**_**Agent)**_," Avasa Great Bear said sternly, "It's time for a walk."

She helped me up, and the long white dress that they had placed me in when I got here barely dragged along on the ground. It was now covered in blood, my own, and I could just imagine how bad my face looked. It was painful to walk, due to the burns on my feet that the chief had given me with a searing hot metal rod. I was escorted outside, and the force of the sun beating down on me for the first time in days made my eyes take a while to adjust to the light. Once I was finally able to open my eyes, I tried to remember everything about my surroundings. After we made it a few steps, two large burly men took my arms and started leading me along. As we got closer to the large dirt driveway that was the central entrance and exit to the reservation, I saw the chief talking to someone. I couldn't see the person's face until the chief moved slightly, and when I saw who it was, it felt like my heart leaped inside of me.

It was Derek.

* * *

Derek's POV

I had just arrived at the reservation, outfitted in the glasses that Penelope had given me. In the glasses was a tiny camera so that the team could see what I saw. I had an earpiece in and I was wired with a microphone so the whole conversation could be recorded. Penelope was able to make me a business card with a number that was routed to my cell phone. I approached the reservation and was suddenly joined by two large burly Native American men.

"Who are you?" the first one asked.

"My name is Derek Morton," I said, "I'm an author. I'm looking for your chief."

"He will meet you out here," the second one said, "Stay here."

I did as I was told, while they searched me for any possible weapons. They then eyed me suspiciously and left, entering one of the larger houses. A few minutes later, they walked back out, now joined by a man in normal-looking clothes, something I hadn't been expecting. They joined me at the entrance.

"Good afternoon my friend," the chief said with a warm smile on his face, "My name is Chief Kusagra Great Bear. What can I do for you?"

"My name is Derek Morton sir," I began, "I'm an author and I'm currently working on a book about Cherokee beliefs. I was wondering if I could get some information from you. I would credit you, of course."

"Anything to help out a friend," the chief said, "Whatever you need."

I began asking him questions and he answered them thoroughly and thoughtfully. I kept my eyes roaming, in case I would catch a glimpse of something suspicious. After fifteen minutes of questions, I knew it was time to ask for a tour.

"Would it be too much to ask for a tour sir?" I asked, as I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye.

"Many in our tribe are sick right now. A mass breakout. It would be best if we stayed right here," he answered.

The movement now came closer, and it melded into three people. Two large men, noticeably not Cherokee, were roughly holding a woman and when they got closer, I knew it was Sylvie. She saw me and I knew she recognized me. Our eyes met and I calmly nodded, hoping that she got the message that everything was okay. They got within five feet of us before one of the men spoke.

"Chief, we need to speak with you," he said.

"Can't you see I'm busy Darwin," the chief said, rather annoyed.

"It's very important sir," the other man, I now knew was Avinash Buzzard, said, "It's about the newest shipment."

"Would you excuse me Mr. Morton?" the chief asked, "I must deal with some impending troubles. It seems Nash thinks it's urgent."

"I can wait sir," I said, hoping that they would leave Sylvie unattended, knowing that that was unlikely.

"Would you mind entertaining our guest, a-tsi-nv-si-da-s-di **(**_**Agent)?**_" the chief asked, a sly smile on his face. He whispered something in her ear before walking about fifty feet away and beginning to talk to his two thugs. None of them were facing us, so I took a chance and began to talk.

"Sylvie, are you okay?" I asked, already knowing the answer due to her appearance. Bruises covered her face and body, as did blood.

"I'm fine," she answered quietly, "Listen, it's going to be hard for you to get me out of here. They've been smuggling in weapons. They have a whole warehouse full of them on the back of the reservation. It's not safe here."

"What did the chief tell you before he walked away?" I questioned.

"He told me that if I tried to get away or told you anything about who I was, that he would kill my mother and my team," she responded.

"Who kidnapped you?" I asked.

"The chief, Darwin, and Nash," she replied, "They picked my lock and disarmed the alarm. I never saw them until they tried to choke me out. I injured Nash pretty bad. They hit my head against the wall until I blacked out."

Sylvie then began to fall over and I caught her, helping her back up. She winced in pain. I gave her a puzzling look and she checked to make sure the chief and his goons weren't looking before she showed me the bottom of one of her feet. They were covered in burns, the skin red and raw. This now made me want to kill all these men, but I kept my cool as the men came back and joined us.

"Well, I hope you two had a nice chat," the chief said, the sly smile still on his face, "I'm sorry to cut our visit short Mr. Morton, but I've come across some issues that I cannot ignore. They need my immediate attention. If you have any more questions, you're welcome to come back at a later time."

"You can count on me coming back sir," I said confidently, looking at Sylvie before returning my gaze to the chief, "Thank you for your time."

I left and got back in my car, waiting a minute before calling Hotch.

"Hey, so you guys saw Sylvie's condition right?" I asked impatiently.

"Yes Morgan," Hotch replied, "ATF has requested to take over the investigation and they want to perform the raid. Strauss is working on the paperwork to grant the request."

"Hotch, you can't let them do that," I exclaimed, "This was ours and CIU's case from the beginning. Let us team with ATF to perform the raid."

"He's right," Rossi said, "If she, god forbid, dies during the raid, I don't think ATF is going to want the blood of an FBI agent on their hands."

"I'll talk to Strauss," Hotch sighed, "See what I can do. For now, Morgan, I want you to join ATF. They're staking out the reservation and that warehouse."

"I'm on it Boss," I replied, "Thank you sir."

* * *

Sylvie's POV

They returned me to my prison, which I now realized was soundproofed, and from the looks of it, bulletproof. Once they got me back in there, my ankles were bound again, tighter than before.

"Well, our little a-tsi-nv-si-da-s-di **(**_**Agent)?" **_the chief said, stroking my cheek, "Did you and Agent Morgan have a nice chat? I hope you did because you won't see him again. When the FBI and ATF come to raid us, we will be ready and I will put a bullet between your precious Derek Morgan's eyes."

My eyes widened, but I kept my cool and did not respond.

"Cat got your tongue Agent Runningwolf?" the chief said, "Don't you have anything to say?"

"Just one thing," I said, knowing my fate for saying it, "Derek Morgan is ten times the man you will ever be."

"You speak of him as though," the chief paused, and the sly smile came back to his face, "You're in love with him, aren't you Sylvie?"

I remained silent and when he began to stroke my cheek again, I spit in his face.

"If that's the way you want it to be Agent Runningwolf," the chief said disgusted, "Then so be it. Nash, do what you do best."

After that, I received one of the worst beatings I had ever had while there. After, the chief's wife came in and tended to my wounds. She had never spoken more than a handful of words to me. She seemed like the typical submissive wife of a psychopath.

"You know," she finally said, "This would all be so much easier if you just did what Kusagra said."

"That's obviously what you do," I replied harshly.

"You know, it's hard to believe, but he was a good man. His father filled his head with lies about evil things," she said hesitantly, "You're the first white one from the tribe in a very long time. He thinks that you are full of magic and he's angry that you won't share it."

Just then, the door swung open and the chief and a group of teenage Native American boys came in.

"Avasa, out, now," he bellowed, "Let the men have some time alone with our lovely FBI agent."

She quickly scurried out, leaving me alone with the boys and the chief. He had one of the boys untie the ropes that were binding my ankles.

"Take this as a lesson, my young ones," the chief instructed, "When a magical being such as this albino, will not willingly give up her magic, you must take it. I want each of you to be a powerful warrior, and this is the only way."

That night, I was violated more times than I could count. I was now curled up in a ball in the corner, full of anxiety and fear. I feel like I would rather die than remain here. That night I dreamed of Derek, of being rescued, and having a happy life with him. Crazy, I know. I had only known him for a short time, but knowing that he wanted to save me and had been looking for me made me feel like someone cared for the first time in a long time.

* * *

"_You are not a victim. No matter what you have been through, you're still here. You may have been challenged, hurt, betrayed, beaten, and discouraged, but nothing has defeated you. You are still here! ~Steve Maraboli_

* * *

**So what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the sixth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles! You are a lifesaver!**

**Another shout-out to Lenika08 for her amazing review!**

* * *

Chapter Seven

_Holding people away from you and denying yourself love doesn't make you strong. If anything, it makes you weaker. Because you're doing it out of fear. ~Sarah Dessen_

* * *

Derek's POV

The raid was going to be a joint-task force, more like a multi-task force operation. Members of the FBI, ATF, local police, state police, and SWAT team were in attendance as we discussed our tactics. We decided that we would try to negotiate with them first, before turning towards more violent methods. After all, there were innocent women, children, and two federal agents on the reservation. All of our vehicles were strategically placed outside the reservation fence in case the Cherokee decided not to listen to our negotiation and decided to start a shoot-out.

We had acquired the only phone number listed for the reservation, and without further ado, Dave was put in charge of negotiation. He was able to get one of the Native Americans on the phone, who quickly gave the phone to the chief.

"Chief Kusagra Great Bear, my name is Special Agent David Rossi. I'm with the FBI. We're here to work out the situation that we've found ourselves in," Dave said calmly in the mobile command unit.

"Ah, I have been waiting to here from you a-tsi-nv-si-da-s-di **(**_**Agent) **_Rossi," the chief said, "I believe we have a few of your friends with us here on the reservation."

"Yes you do," Dave said, "We would like to negotiate for their release."

"I don't think that is in the cards Agent Rossi," the chief replied, "We know that the ATF has been investigating us. We don't plan on going down without a fight."

"I don't think that would be a wise decision Chief Great Bear," Dave answered calmly, "We know that you have women and children on the reservation. We don't want anyone to get hurt."

"So what are you proposing Agent Rossi?" the chief questioned.

"Release the women and children," Dave said, "They don't need to be in the middle of this."

"How do I know that they will be safe?" the chief asked, obviously concerned.

"I give you my word that they will not be harmed in any way," Dave replied, "We just want to settle this civilly so that no one gets hurt."

"Okay Agent Rossi," the chief said, "I believe you. My people, however, aren't so trusting. Goodbye Agent Rossi."

As the chief hung up the phone, shots were fired, and a wall of Native American men were shooting at our vehicles with machine guns. Taking great caution, we fired back, ultimately wounding all of them. We knew it was time to move in, now that the welfare and safety of our agents had possibly been compromised.

* * *

Sylvie's POV

I couldn't even keep track of time anymore. The days and nights seemed to blend together. My head was pounding and I knew that I probably had a concussion from the head trauma that I'd suffered at my house when I was abducted. The burns on my feet had slowly begun to heal, but the bruises on the rest of my body were still dark and purple. The chief's wife had come in a little while ago and changed me into a new dress. This one was white and flowy, for a minute I even thought it was pretty. She said that it was a special day and I needed to look my best.

My wrists and ankles were still bound, and I sat in the corner of the room with my head against the wall, praying that some way, somehow, I would make it out of here alive. Even though I knew the chief would follow through with his threat of hurting Derek and the team when they came to save me. I closed my eyes and clutched the sterling silver prayer box necklace that hung from my bruised neck. When they had abducted me, they let me keep it on. I had heard them saying that I should at least have the Great Holy Father on my side.

I closed my eyes and was almost drifting into sleep when I was suddenly awoken by a hail of gunfire. I clumsily made my way to the window and looked out, only able to see members of the tribe with machine guns shooting towards the entrance to the reservation. They must be here.

More gunshots rang out and I saw many Native American members of the tribe fall to their deaths. The women and children had been hidden in an underground storm cellar so that they would not be harmed during the raid. All of the young men (over the age of 14) and the older men of the tribe had been armed with machine guns and told to protect their land from the evil ones. I was interrupted from watching the scene by the door to my prison opening, and the chief's wife Avasa Great Bear came in, a long, sharp knife in her hand.

"Your people have trespassed on our land," she said, obviously saying what the chief had told her to say, "Now you must...p...p...p...pay."

"Avasa, listen to me," I stammered, "You don't have to do this. Your husband has filled everyone's head with lies. He is a bad man. He is letting all of the men in your tribe die, while he hides out. Don't you see? He is a coward."

"But I have to do this," she said, tears coming to her eyes, "If I don't, he'll make me suffer."

"I can help you Avasa," I tried to persuade her, "If you put that knife down, the FBI will be here soon, and I can get you and your children to safety."

"No," she said confidently, "I must do this for Kusagra. I have to please him. He is my husband and I must do his will."

She came closer to me know and got on her knees, holding the knife to my throat. Her hands were violently shaking from fear.

"Please Avasa," I said, tears now in my eyes, "I'm begging you. I have a daughter. She's the same age as your daughter Hialeah."

I brought up her daughter, knowing this would affect her. Her daughter Hialeah was eighteen and married to her father's right-hand man Avinash Buzzard. They had a two year old son named Degataga, and from what I saw out my small window, it was an abusive relationship, much like the other marriages I'd seen while I'd been here.

Her eyes filled with tears and she looked out the window, seeing all of the fighting and guns and dead bodies scattering the ground. She turned back to look at me.

"Loak Ishto Hollo Aba **(Cherokee God)**, forgive me," she said, and before I could stop her, she slit her own throat, splattering blood across the room, and all over my white dress.

As the tears fell from my eyes, I could hear someone at the door. I was terrified that it would be the chief. If he saw his wife dead, he would surely kill me. The door was locked and Avasa had the key hanging on a chain around her neck. I heard banging and finally, the door burst open. Huddled by Avasa's dead body, sitting in a large pool of blood, I looked up to see someone I had not been expecting. Derek.

I could tell he was worried. His eyes got huge when he saw all the blood.

"Sylvie, are you all right?" he asked, running over to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, although this wasn't entirely true.

He pulled a knife out of his pocket and freed me from the ropes that had bound my wrists and ankles for days. He helped me stand up and, before I knew what was happening, he had enveloped me in his arms and it felt like I fit there perfectly. We stayed like that for a while, as I cried into his shoulder. The ringing of gunshots stopped and we separated as Hotch, Danielle, and the rest of our two teams ran into the building.

"Sylvie, are you all right?" Danielle asked, as she gave me a hug.

"I'm fine, really," I pleaded, trying to sound convincing, "The women and children are in an underground hideout. You have to find them."

"We already have," Hotch said, "Apparently, Chief Great Bear didn't want to leave any witnesses. The underground room that the women and children were in was blown up a few minutes ago. As was the building in which Agent Blakeship was being held. He didn't make it."

I didn't know what to say. Derek helped me walk out of the building, and the first thing I saw were all the bodies. Every young and old man that had been fighting were dead. I couldn't look at them, so I turned my head towards Derek's chest and kept my eyes tightly closed. I didn't realize it, but I was sobbing. Derek probably thought it was from the pain of my injuries, and part of it was. The other part was I was still reeling from the attacks. They had taken me back to that horrible place I'd been in after I'd been raped the first time.

* * *

Danielle rode in the ambulance with me, and Hotch and Derek met us at the hospital. The doctor-on-call checked me out and then gave us the diagnosis as I laid on the hospital bed.

"Well, I'm surprised she was able to walk at all," the doctor said, "She has second-degree burns on her feet, from what she told me was a searing hot metal rod. She also has a few cracked ribs and a concussion. I'm also amazed that she didn't suffer further head trauma. From what she told me about the extent of her attack, she is very lucky."

"When will she be able to go home?" Danielle asked.

"Normally I would keep her overnight, but we just have to wait for a few more test results to come back, and then she can spend the night in her own bed," the doctor said, as a female nurse came into the room.

"I'm going to go call Lilly," Danielle said, as she made her way into the hallway.

"Derek, can I talk to you outside?" Hotch asked, as the two men left the room.

The nurse began to wrap my feet up, after she had applied the necessary medication. She was about to leave when I knew I had to tell her.

"Excuse me," I said, and she turned around, "While I was being held, I was raped repeatedly, by more than one person. I just want to make sure that nothing has happened because of that."

"Well, standard protocol would have me issue you a rape kit," the nurse said, "So we can start there."

"There's no use in that," I sighed, "All the men who raped me are dead. Killed in a stand-off with police and FBI earlier today."

"Well then, your blood tests should be back, and that will determine if you are pregnant or not. It will also bring to light any STDs or STIs that you may have contracted from your attacker," the nurse said, "Don't worry. I've been where you are. I was raped a year ago, and thank God, I wasn't pregnant. You're going to be fine. I'll go see about those blood tests."

After the nurse left the room, Danielle came back in with a small, forced, smile on her face.

"Lilly is looking for a flight as soon as she can," she said, "She's in the middle of finals, so she said it could be a few weeks. She sends her love and wants you to call her when you get home."

"Thank you Danielle," I said gratefully, "For everything."

"Sylvie, you're like a sister to me," Danielle stated, "I wasn't going to stop until I found you. Although, I don't think I was the only one who felt that way.'

"What do you mean?" I questioned, sitting up in bed.

"Your lover boy was the one who kept pushing us to keep looking for you," Danielle said, a hint of sarcasm present in her voice, "It was his idea for the undercover operation and the joint-task force with the raid."

Hearing Danielle say that brought a small smile to my face.

"I knew it," Danielle said triumphantly, "You do like him."

I shook the idea of it out of my head, "You of all people know that I'm in no position for a relationship, especially now."

"All I wanted you to know is that he cares about you Sylvie," Danielle said, making her way to the doorway, "And Sylvie, don't deny yourself love just because you feel like you don't deserve it."

After a few minutes alone, the nurse came back into the room, a clipboard in hand.

"You're very lucky Miss Runningwolf," the nurse said as she came next to my bed, "You're not pregnant and there's no evidence of any infections or diseases. I have the Plan B pill here just as a precaution, and I would encourage you to take it."

I took the small cup of water and the pill that she gave me. It hurt my throat swallowing the pill, but I knew that I had to.

After I filled out the mountain of paperwork that was needed for me to be discharged and changed my clothes, Hotch, Danielle, and Derek came back into the room.

* * *

"Derek, would you be able to drive Sylvie home? It's getting late," Danielle asked, giving me a knowing glance, "Agent Hotchner and I have a meeting with Chief Strauss and she won't excuse our tardiness. No matter the reason."

"Yes of course," Derek said, as Hotch and Danielle left. He helped me out of the bed and I leaned on him again to walk to his car. He helped me inside and we began the drive to my house.

The drive was silent and we pulled up to my house at ten o'clock that night. A line of police tape was hanging halfway across the door and dragged on the concrete steps. Derek quickly ripped it down and tossed it into the bushes, not giving me any time to say anything. Once I crossed the threshold and saw my house again for the first time again, I flash-backed to my abduction. I remembered Buzzard slamming my head into the wall again and again, as I saw the large hole in the wall in the living room wall.

"I can patch that up for you tomorrow, if you'd like," Derek offered.

"Thank you Derek," I said, "For everything that you've done for me. I don't think I'd be here if it wasn't for you."

"Well, it's getting late and I'm sure you want to get some sleep," Derek said, changing the subject, "I'll be on my way."

He made his way to the door and was halfway out of it when I impulsively spoke.

"Derek," I said, and he turned back around in the doorway, "Would it be too much to ask for you to stay? I don't think I can be alone here tonight."

"Of course," Derek said, coming back inside, "I'll be just fine on the couch."

"Thanks," I said, managing a small smile before turning to head up the stairs.

"You know Sylvie," Derek said, making me turn around and face him wearily, "If you want to talk, I'm here for you."

Another small smile and I was up the stairs.

I painfully changed into an oversized FBI t-shirt and a pair of running shorts before climbing into bed. I tossed and turned for a few minutes before finally settling in and falling asleep.

* * *

Derek's POV

I had been surprised when Sylvie asked me to stay, but I was glad that she did. I had been fighting whether or not I should ask her if she wanted me to, but in the end, I'd been a coward and pushed it to the back of my mind. Now, I was on her sofa, trying to fall asleep. I had just drifted off when a series of blood-curdling screams came from upstairs. Faster than I'd ran the training course at the FBI Academy, I was up the stairs and in Sylvie's room. She was having a nightmare. Without even thinking, I sat on the side of the bed and put my hand lightly on Sylvie's arm. She awoke with a start, looking scared, and the sight of her broke my heart. She clung to me, and I enveloped her in my arms, letting her cry into my chest.

I slowly rocked back and forth, not sure what I was supposed to do or say.

"Shh, it's okay. You're safe," I said, "They can't hurt you again. I'll never let anyone hurt you ever again, I promise."

I repeated this until she finally was able to calm down and the flow of her tears dramatically decreased.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," she said, putting that all-too-familiar Ice Queen face back on, "And now you're soaked with my tears."

I shook my head, "Don't worry. Do you want to talk about your dream?"

"I was in that room with them, and they wouldn't stop touching me. I screamed and screamed but no one came. And you didn't save me and they just kept on raping me over and over. And he said he was going to..." Sylvie was able to stammer before breaking down into tears again. I held her in my strong arms, desperately hoping that she would be okay.

"Well, that didn't happen. I did save you. I'll never let anyone hurt you again," I vowed, knowing that I wanted to keep her safe forever. After what had happened, I couldn't imagine my life without Sylvie in it. I knew that she was the one for me, even if she wasn't so sure.

"Could you stay?" she asked, her swollen eyes looking into mine with a pleading stare, "I don't want to be alone."

So we both laid back down onto the bed and she was asleep within a few minutes, my arms wrapped around her. I wasn't able to sleep very much. My mind was going a mile a minute. After what had happened, I couldn't imagine my life without Sylvie in it. I knew that she was the one for me, even if she wasn't so sure. I wanted to prove to her that she could trust me and that a relationship between us could work. Hell, it would work, and I would see to it that it would.

* * *

_There is never a time or a place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single, flashing, throbbing moment._

* * *

**So what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the seventh chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have another fanfiction that I am writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime/romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles! You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank Hope'sFace, Lenika08, caleb's babe, MissMcGee, and Flawless438 for their amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

* * *

Chapter Eight

_To the world you may be just one person, but to one person, you may be the world. ~Brandi Snyder_

Sylvie's POV

It had already been a month since my rescue. It still seemed like only a few days. I'd been going to my mandatory therapy sessions assigned to me by the FBI Director himself. I'd also had one month of mandatory leave of absence, which was now over. Today was my last therapy session before I reentered the field. Dr. Howe welcomed me into her office and I sat down in the all-too-familiar leather chair, looking out the large window at the view of downtown D.C.

"So Sylvie," Dr. Howe said, sitting down and looking at me over her glasses, "It's your last session. Anything you would particularly like to talk about?"

I stayed silent. I knew that she knew the only thing I hadn't talked about was Derek. We had discussed my childhood, Lilly, me joining the FBI, and the kidnapping, but whenever Derek had come up, I had quickly changed the subject.

As for my relationship with Derek, I didn't know what was going on. For the past month, the BAU had been put on mandatory stand down by Strauss to catch up on a lot of put-off paperwork. So, Derek and I spent our nights together. Nothing physical had actually happened, but the only way I could sleep without having nightmares was in his arms. I knew that I really liked being with Derek, but there was still something holding me back.

"What about Derek Morgan?" Dr. Howe asked, giving me a knowing glance, "He seems to have a become a large part of your life."

"I really care about him Dr. Howe," I began, "But, so much has happened to me in the past, I don't know if I can trust anyone with my heart."

"Sylvie, I've been married for twenty-seven years," Dr. Howe said, handing me a picture frame with a picture of her and her husband, both of them smiling, "When I was a child, my mother died in a car accident. After that, my father raped me every day. I was put into foster care when I was ten, but by then, the damage had been done. I didn't trust or talk to anyone that I didn't know until I was eighteen. That was when I met Hank. He was twenty-one, a marine. It took me a year, but I finally decided that I didn't want to be alone anymore. It was the best decision I ever made."

We talked about Derek and overcoming trust issues for the next hour. She signed the form, releasing me from my mandatory therapy. I headed to work to turn it into Danielle. Realizing that I would more than likely see Derek, I applied a bit of makeup and straightened my outfit before getting out of the car and walking into the lobby.

* * *

I took the elevator and made it to the CIU floor. Surprisingly, it was quiet. Usually, there were people running all over the place working on cases. I walked into Danielle's office, to find her sitting at her desk, her head in her hands.

"Missed me?" I asked, smiling as I walked in and set the paper on Danielle's desk, "I'm ready to come back."

"About that," Danielle said, the ice queen face dissolved from her face, "Sit down Sylvie, we need to talk."

Confused, I sat down, wondering what Danielle could possibly need to tell me.

"Sylvie, I have been experiencing some muscle weakness over the past few months, but I've just put it off because I thought I just needed to get more rest," Danielle said, her eyes now filling with tears, "I went to the doctor a few days ago after I couldn't stop twitching. He diagnosed it as ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease."

"Oh Danielle, no," I replied, shocked that the strongest woman I know had this disease.

"My retirement officially sets in in a few days," Danielle responded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"What about the team?" I questioned, wanting to know the fate of my "family."

"I had a meeting with the Director," Danielle began, "He's decided to disband the CIU. He says that it is unnecessary due to the shortage of funds and the huge success of the BAU."

"Didn't you tell him that most of us have the profile training?" I retorted, now frustrated, "We have had just as much success as they have. They can't just fire the team."

"None of you are losing your jobs Sylvie," Danielle assured me, "I've found new assignments for each person on the team, including you."

"Where am I going to go then?" I asked, "Counter-terrorism, White Collar, Cyber Crimes..."

"I've already spoke with Agent Hotchner," Danielle said with a smile, "You start at the BAU on Monday."

"You've got to be kidding?!" I said excitedly, knowing that she knew this was my dream job.

"I want the best for you Sylvie," Danielle replied, "You're like the sister I never had. And don't worry, the fraternization rules won't apply since you and Derek became a couple before you began to work on the same team."

"What do you mean?" I asked, curious as to how she came to that conclusion, "Derek and I aren't..."

"Sylvie, if you want something to happen, you better make it happen fast," Danielle insisted, "Otherwise, you'll be breaking the rules. Fight for your man. He won't wait forever."

After talking for a bit more, Danielle and I shared a hug and I told her to call me if she ever needed anything. As I left the FBI building, my phone buzzed, and I pulled it out to find a text from Derek.

_Hey beautiful. No new case so I thought I could bring over a pizza to brighten up your Friday night. Slaughterhouse-Five is being shown on Channel Eight. I'll be over around seven? ~D_

* * *

Seeing those first two words sent a shiver down my spine. Since that first kiss, there hadn't been another, even though every night I longed for his lips to touch mine. I quickly wrote out a haphazard reply of acceptance and hurried home, it being five o'clock.

I got home and changed into a pair of yoga pants and one of Derek's Northwestern football t-shirts that he left here. In fact, he had a few drawers in my dresser full of his clothes. I left my hair down, noticing how long it had gotten. My white-blonde hair almost reached the small of my back now. I was ready early, six-thirty, so I settled onto the couch, Lux and Puma situated next to me, and thought about what had happened today. I knew that I would have to tell Derek about my new job, and I hoped it wouldn't change anything between us.

Before I knew it, the doorbell rang and when I looked at the clock, he was right on time. The clock, where the faint outline of the hole was still barely visible. I only knew it was there because my head being smashed into the wall was the cause of the hole. True to his word, Derek had patched up the hole, in addition to fixing the leaky faucet in the bathroom.

I opened the door, and seeing his face suddenly made me feel a lot better. I graciously accepted the light kiss he placed on my cheek, no longer as hesitant as I had been before. We each grabbed a plate and some pizza, and then sat on the couch and began eating as the movie started.

As we both finished our food, the plates went onto the coffee table and I found myself snuggling myself up to Derek, whose strong arms wrapped around me. We were about halfway through the movie, when suddenly, it stopped, and the words **BREAKING NEWS **appeared on the screen followed by an attractive female news anchor.

_We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for a breaking news story. We were not allowed to report on this at the time it occurred, but now, with new information, we bring you this story that will shock you._

The camera switched to a new news anchor, a young man, at what was left of the reservation that had been my prison.

_Here on the Cherokee reservation about an hour outside of Washington D.C, a deadly standoff was held a month ago. Our sources say ATF was conducting a federal investigation on the tribe for illegally importing weapons. It turns out, there was much more going on. We have new information from inside the FBI itself. Our source told us that two federal agents were being held captive on the reservation at the time of the raid performed by local and state law enforcement officers, the FBI, ATF, and SWAT. One of those agents, Matthew Blakenship, was killed by a bomb while still on the reservation. The other, a female agent whose name we do not have at this time, survived. All of the residents of the reservation were killed in the deadly standoff. When asked to give a statement, the Director of the FBI responded with, "No comment." _

Again the camera switched back to the female anchor.

_Now we will keep you updated with any new information that we receive. The FBI has not released an official statement about the identity of the surviving agent, but our inside sources do tell us that she has been required to take mandatory therapy, due to the extreme torture and duress she endured whilst being held captive._

I was speechless. The Director had assured me himself that this would be kept out of the press.

* * *

"Who would tell them all that?" I asked Derek, knowing that he didn't know the answer, but wanting to release my frustration.

"It was probably some intern who wanted to get their five minutes of fame," Derek reassured me, "Hey, it's over. You don't have to deal with any of it anymore."

The movie came back on, but we turned it off. Me, knowing that we needed to talk, spoke first.

"So I had my last session today," I said, forcing a small smile on my face as Derek intertwined our fingers together.

"How did it go?" Derek asked.

"I never thought talking to someone about what happened could really help, but I guess I was wrong," I replied, looking up to see Derek's eyes fixed on mine.

"You're not telling me something," Derek concluded, but I guess that's what I get for trying to hide something from a profiler.

"I've been reassigned," I said meekly, sitting up and gently removing myself from his grasp, "The CIU has been disbanded due to budget cuts. Danielle is retiring and the whole team has new assignments."

"So where are you going?" Derek asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"The nice thing is, I'm staying at Quantico, so I don't have to move," I said, trying to build up the suspense, "I've been assigned to the BAU."

Derek's facial expression went from confused to excited, which surprised me a little bit.

"You're okay with this?" I questioned.

"If it means I get to see your beautiful face everyday," Derek said, smiling at me.

* * *

My eyes drifted to his. He stared back, and apparently understanding my feelings, drew closer to me. I closed my eyes, my lips parted slightly, awaiting that which I had been longing for. A few seconds passed before I finally felt his warm lips brush against mine. At that very moment, I felt my passion for him course through my body, causing me to shake uncontrollably. I moved my hands to rest on the sides of his neck, allowing him to wrap his arms around my waist and hold me tightly as he began to kiss my lips. I found myself moaning softly, kissing back to the best of my ability.

We kissed passionately, holding each other in a warm embrace, expressing our unspoken love. After what felt like eons to me, our mouths finally parted, and our eyes finally met. We continued to hold each other, silently staring into each others eyes. After giving him a watery smile, I placed my head against his chest. The beating of Derek's heart was audible, an indication that he felt the same way I did.

"Derek, what are we doing?" I asked as his hand gently caressed mine.

"I really care about you Sylvie, but I don't want to do anything that you'll be uncomfortable with," Derek said, "I want to be with you and only you, but we can take this as slow as you want too."

Slightly hesitating, thinking about the walls I'd put up so long ago, protecting my heart from anyone who could, in the slightest way, break it. I almost wretched myself out of his grasp. Almost told him that I couldn't do this. Almost ended whatever our relationship was. Almost ruined everything.

But instead, finally facing all of my fears and pushing my doubts to the back of my mind, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, knowing and hoping that it would lead to something more. It did.

* * *

When I woke up onFriday morning, I didn't expect myself to be laying next to Derek in bed that night, after we'd just...you know. I was enveloped in his arms, my head snuggled next to his shoulder. Something about him made me feel safe and secure, something I desperately needed.

"So, when I talked to Danielle, she told me that I needed to fight for my man and that you wouldn't wait around forever," I said, looking up into his chocolate brown eyes.

"For you," Derek said, caressing my cheek, "I would wait forever."

"So you're done being a player and a ladies' man?" I questioned, making small circles on his hand with my fingers.

"You are the best thing that's ever happened to me," Derek replied, looking deep into my eyes, "This might sound cheesy, but you are my one and only. I don't want to lose you."

Now realizing how tired I was, Derek wrapped his arms around me and we both fell asleep, waking up at ten A.M.

"Do you have any plans for today?" I asked, drying my wet hair with a towel after I'd just gotten out of the shower.

"Well, Rossi was having a barbeque this afternoon," Derek said, now dressed and sitting on the edge of my bed, "But if you don't want to go, I totally understand."

"So the whole team will be there?" I questioned, slightly nervous.

"Yeah," Derek said, "But I totally understand if you don't want them to know about us."

"No," I replied, walking over and putting my arms around his neck, "I'm going to have to get to know them soon enough anyway. I should probably get an early start. And I think they should know about us from the beginning. I want to be completely honest with all of them."

* * *

I curled my hair, leaving it down. I put on a new dress that I hadn't worn yet. It was mint green and simple, with a sweetheart neckline and a cream colored belt with ivory flowers. I slipped on a pair of ivory-colored intricate sandals. I applied a minimal amount of makeup. When I walked downstairs, Derek was already ready, dressed in a yellow polo shirt and khaki shorts.

"You look gorgeous," he said, taking my hand and interlocking our fingers, "Ready to go?"

I nodded, extremely nervous, but trying not to show it.

We arrived at a large mansion, which, from what I knew about David Rossi, wasn't a surprise. We walked into the backyard hand in hand, to find Rossi, Hotch, and Reid at the grill, Penelope, JJ, and a man who must've been JJ's husband sitting at a picnic table talking. Two small boys were laughing and chasing a dog around the backyard.

I felt myself tense up and I guess Derek did too, because he squeezed my head and leaned in and whispered into my ear.

"They're going to love you," he whispered, as we made our way towards the grill.

"Well, well, look who decided to finally show up," Rossi said, stepping away from the grill and crossing his arms across his apron, which read _**The Italian Stallion**__,_ "And who might this be?"

"Rossi, Hotch, Reid, this is Sylvie Runningwolf," Derek introduced as I shook each of their hands.

"You're our new agent," Hotch said with a smile, "I hear you come very highly recommended."

"Yes sir," I replied, "I'm excited to join your team."

"Derek!" I heard someone, Penelope call from across the yard, "Get your Hot Stuff over here!"

"I guess we'll see you guys later!" I exclaimed, as Derek and I made our way over to the picnic table.

"Sylvie, it's so nice to see you again!" Penelope cheered as she gave me a hug, "You look great."

"Thanks Penelope," I replied, as she finally let go and sat back down.

"I don't believe we've met," JJ said standing up, "I'm JJ, and this is my husband Will, and our son Henry is over there playing with Jack and Mudgie."

I shook both of their hands and smiled, as I looked over at the adorable little blonde boy running around.

We sat down to a dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs, with potato salad, and watermelon. It was all delicious, and after everyone finished eating, the boys resumed their game of chasing each other around the backyard as the adults continued to talk.

"So everyone," Hotch said as he stood up, "I'd like to make a toast. To Sylvie Runningwolf, the newest agent at the BAU."

Everyone got excited and "Congratulations!" was heard too many times by me. All I could do was smile, as Derek's hand found mine under the table and our fingers intertwined.

We kept up the small talk, and I knew that both Derek and I were looking for the moment to tell the team that we were together. But, we were beat to it by Penelope.

"So, are you and Sylvie together?" Penelope asked bluntly, as everyone listened intently.

We both looked at each other and brought out our hands from under the table.

"Yes," I replied shyly, still not sure what the team thought of me.

"How long?" JJ asked inquisitively.

"It's pretty recent," Derek replied.

"We are so happy for you guys," Penelope cooed, as everyone clapped.

"Glad to know someone finally got Derek to settle down," Rossi said as he tipped his drink back.

The fun ended soon enough, and Derek and I headed back to my house. I knew that Monday would come all too soon, and my life would become very busy. But, I knew Derek would be there for me, and I was excited to see what was in store.

* * *

_You know, when it works, love is pretty amazing. It is not overrated. There's a reason for all those love songs.~Sarah Dessen_

**So what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the eighth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have another fanfiction that I am writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime/romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles!You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank Lenika08, Miss McGee, caleb's babe, and KeyLimePie28 for their amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

***For this story, I have slightly aged Ellie Spicer. In my story, she is now 16 years old.***

* * *

Chapter Nine

_The day we met, frozen I held my breath. Right from the start, I knew that I'd found a home for my heart.~Cover of A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, performed on the FOX hit TV show "Glee"_

* * *

Sylvie's POV

**~Three Months Later...October~**

The past three months had flown by. When we weren't working a case, Derek and I were at his place or mine. We were eating a lot of take-out and junk food, which was a contributing factor to the few pounds that I'd gained. I'd been sick for the past week or so. The flu that I had just wouldn't go away. Thankfully, I was feeling better tonight, because Derek was taking me out to a fancy dinner. I'd decided to wear a tan dress with one long sleeve made of a flowy, see-through material and a sparkly silver belt. Nude heels adorned my feet. My hair was pulled into an intricate side bun. Once I'd finally gotten done getting ready, I was surprised to see Derek sitting on the couch watching a football game.

"What are you doing?" I asked, smiling, "Our reservations are in an hour. Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

He quickly got up and came to me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"You look beautiful," he said, trailing kisses down my neck.

"Ah, no," I said, wrenching myself out of his grasp, "I finally feel like going out and we're going to. I haven't been out of the house in a week. Please?"

"Fine, I'm going," he sighed, placing a final kiss to my forehead before heading into the bedroom.

And then, being the neat freak/perfectionist that I am, I started picking up the house, throwing away the take-out boxes that were sitting, piled pretty high, on the coffee table. Amidst my cleaning, the doorbell rang. Knowing Derek wouldn't be ready for another few minutes, I walked towards the door, confused at who it could be. The whole team, who were the usual visitors, knew we were going out and promised not to stop by for a "surprise" visit.

* * *

Once I opened the door, I was surprised to see a beautiful teenage girl on the other side. She had long black hair and piercing green eyes. When she saw me, for a split second, her face was full of anger, and then she put on a confused smile.

"Hi, can I help you?" I asked, just as confused as she was.

"I'm actually looking for Derek," she replied, "Is he here?"

"Yeah," I answered nodding, "Why don't you come in and have a seat. I'll go get him."

She came in and sat down on the couch, looking nervous. I walked into the bedroom to find Derek buttoning up a black dress shirt.

"Someone's here to see you," I announced, toying with the buttons on his shirt.

"Oh really," Derek said seductively as his hands wrapped around my waist.

"You should go talk to her so we're not late," I replied, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips before taking his hand and leading him into the living room.

The girl on the couch stood up and turned around when she heard us coming.

"Derek!" she exclaimed, almost shoving me out of the way to hug him.

"Ellie, what are you doing here?" Derek questioned, slightly pushing her away in shock.

"Aren't you excited to see me?" Ellie questioned, "It's been over two years."

"Of course I am," Derek said, a large smile on his face, "But really, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"Yeah, but we're on break. My mom's here in DC for business so I tagged along," she replied quickly.

"It's really great to see you Ellie, really it is," Derek began, "I feel really stupid. Ellie, this is my girlfriend Sylvie. Sylvie, this is Ellie Spicer. She was involved in a case that I worked three years ago."

We shook hands, but the smile she gave me looked incredibly fake.

"It's so nice to meet you," she said.

"Well, Ellie," Derek interrupted, "Sylvie and I were actually about to go out to dinner, but, if it's okay with your mom, we would love to have you join us!"

* * *

And just like that, our romantic evening for two became the "Ellie and Derek with Sylvie tagging along" date. Once we got to dinner and our food arrived, I awkwardly ate my food in silence, once in a while smiling and nodding when they finally noticed my existence. Suddenly, feeling sick to my stomach, I calmly excused myself to the ladies' room.

After emptying the contents of my stomach, I suddenly realized that this might not be the flu. Knowing that I was the only one in the bathroom, I locked the main door and stood in front of the mirror. I hesitantly pulled my dress tight against me, not knowing if the tiny bump I was seeing was real, or if I was just imagining it. After deciding to go to the doctor the next morning to sort everything out, and after deciding not to tell Derek until I was absolutely sure, I left the bathroom, finding Derek and Ellie finished with dinner.

"Are you okay?" Derek questioned, looking concerned.

"No, I don't feel well at all," I said, knowing that I was pale and slightly dizzy.

"We'd better get you home," Derek insisted, taking my hand, "Can we drop you off at your hotel Ellie?"

"That would be great," Ellie replied, flashing him a smile.

After dropping Ellie off at the hotel, we got home, and I immediately went into the bedroom, climbed into bed, and went to sleep, not knowing what the morning would bring.

* * *

When I woke up, I was alone in bed. Groggily, I walked out to the kitchen, where there was a note on the counter.

_Good morning Sweetheart,_

_Had to go in to work this morning to do some training. I'll be home around noon. _

_I love you,_

_Derek_

This gave me the time I needed, so I called and made an appointment at my doctors' office. A couple hours later, I was off, making it to the clinic at ten. After filling out some forms and being sent to wait in an examination room, the doctor finally came in.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Olivia Hale," the woman stretched out her hand and I shook it.

"What happened to Dr. Morton?" I questioned, knowing the kind older man had been my doctor for years.

"He retired a few months ago to go live in Florida with his kids," the young woman my age replied, "So, what brought you here today?"

I took a deep breath before replying, "I think I might be pregnant."

"Alright then," she smiled, "Have you taken a pregnancy test?"

"No," I responded, "I just have a lot of the same symptoms that I had when I was pregnant with my daughter Lilly."

"Okay, how old is she?" Dr. Hale asked.

"She'll be nineteen in a few months," I answered, thinking about Lilly made me smile.

"You don't look old enough to have a daughter that old," Dr. Hale said, the smile still on her face.

"I got pregnant when I was sixteen," I hesitantly replied, "I was raped."

"Oh my gosh," Dr. Hale said, showing the initial reaction that everyone did when I told them about Lilly and her conception, "Well then, we'll need you to give us a urine sample and then we'll do some quick blood work to confirm."

* * *

After about an hour, my suspicion was confirmed. Dr. Hale performed an ultrasound, and when I saw the small peanut-shaped blob appeared on the screen, tears came to my eyes.

"And there's your baby," Dr. Hale said, pushing a few buttons on her machine, "From what I can tell, along with the baby's measurements, I can confidently say that you are about eight weeks along. That would make your due date tentatively in May. Congratulations."

I took a deep breath, not knowing how Derek would react. We had only been together for three months and I was already pregnant. Derek and I had talked about having kids, but not anytime soon, despite my advancing age. Dr. Hale handed me the small handful of photos from the ultrasound and I left the doctors' office at eleven-thirty. Hurrying home, now semi-excited to tell Derek the good news.

* * *

Once I got to the door, it was mysteriously locked, so I used the key that Derek had given me to get in. Before I had fully opened the door, I heard voices inside, but opened it anyway. To my shock and horror, Derek and Ellie were sitting on the living room couch, kissing, Derek's hand touching her arm. Before I could even say anything, I quickly ran out, slamming the door behind me.

Tears streamed down my face as I quickly drove home, packed a few bags, and headed to the airport. It was Parents Week at Sibelius and Lilly wasn't expecting me to come since, the last time she'd talked to me I'd been "sick." I was on the plane before I knew it. I called Hotch, and told him that I needed some time off and also spilled the pregnancy news, but swore him to secrecy. He promised that he would let me be the one to tell Derek. I fell asleep, crying, and thinking about the small life that was inside of me.

When I awoke, the flight attendant was making the announcement that we were about to land. Once we did, I took a taxi and made it to Sibelius Academy by the early-morning hours. Speaking the small amount of Finnish that I could, I registered at the front office and made my way to Lilly's dorm room. She was surprised to see me when she opened the door, but the surprise quickly turned to concern when she noticed my tear-stained face.

"Mom, what's wrong?" she asked, obviously worried about me.

Soon enough, I'd told her everything. She held me while I cried for what seemed like forever. But, I soon realized that I didn't need to cry over Derek.

"I think I'm going to stay here for a while," I announced, my new-found confidence now evident, "Maybe get a job and an apartment? It would be nice to be closer to you."

"Mom, you can't stay here to hide from Derek," Lilly scolded, "You should talk to him."

"I have nothing to say," I replied, "For the first time, I trusted someone with my heart and it got broken. I'm not going to let him get to me. I'm a strong, independent woman and I don't need him."

"Please think about this Mom," Lilly urged, "Think about Derek. Think about Penelope and JJ and Hotch and Rossi, and Reid. Think about the baby."

Instinctively placing a hand on my slightly distended abdomen when she mentioned the baby, for the first time, I thought about him or her. I knew that Derek had spent most of his life without a father and I knew how that had affected him. But then again, the Ice Queen inside me told me that my baby didn't need a flaky father, one who would run away when things got hard. I knew what decision I needed to make and it was the best one for me and for the baby.

* * *

"_If you build the guts to do something, anything, then you better save enough to face the consequences." ― Criss Jami_

* * *

**I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter but I really wanted to give you guys a new chapter! I have been super busy with the end of school and finals, etc. My chapters and updates will become regular soon, I promise! Also, I have a poll on my profile about the baby's name. I have already decided on the gender, but so I don't spoil it, I will post both boy and girl names! Please go vote!**

**Also, if you have any suggestions for names, please leave them in the reviews! Maybe the name you suggest will be the one that I choose!**

**For now though, what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the ninth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have also have another fanfiction that I am currently writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime and romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles!You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank KeyLimePie28, Lenika08, 36MaryRose36, and RjsGurl for their amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

* * *

Chapter Ten

_I'm not a perfect person. I make a lot of mistakes...but still, I love those people who stay with me after knowing how I really am._

* * *

Derek's POV

It's been a month since I last saw Sylvie. After Ellie forced herself onto me, I was pushing her away when, without my knowing, Sylvie walked in and saw what was happening. She was already in such a fragile state, and I knew that this pushed her over the edge. I had called, texted, and emailed her a thousand times, with no reply. I felt like she needed her space, so I went on with life. The team walked on eggshells around me. No one mentioned Sylvie at all. Hotch only said that she had taken some paid leave. No one knew where she went and we kept working cases like we normally would, until I got an unexpected phone call.

"Derek, it's Lilly," I heard on the other line."

"Lilly, is something wrong?" I questioned, "Is Sylvie okay?"

"She's miserable actually," Lilly said, sighing, "She's here in Finland actually. Has been for the whole month."

"She's in Finland?" I replied, surprised.

"She hasn't mentioned your name since she got here. You obviously screwed up somehow," Lilly said sarcastically, "What happened?"

"It was all just a misunderstanding," I tried to convince her, "I tried to get a hold of her, but she wouldn't answer me."

"So you just gave up?" Lilly snapped, "You would really just let her go?"

"Of course not!" I retorted, "I just thought that I would give her some time..."

"She doesn't need time right now," Lilly explained, "She needs you."

"Lilly, there's something you're not telling me," I inferred.

"My mom should be the one to tell you," Lilly said, "But get here as fast as you can please!"

* * *

That kind of scared me, so I immediately called Hotch and told him what I was doing. He was more than willing to give me the leave time, and, after purchasing a plane ticket, I was in the air for a long flight.

I landed in Finland in the early afternoon and rushed to the address that Lilly had given me of the place Sylvie had been renting. I paid the cabbie and ran to the door, knocking hurriedly, ready to win back the woman I loved.

Sylvie's POV

I awoke in the morning and got dressed in a red tank top and black and white plaid shirt. The shirt was baggy, and didn't show off the small baby bump that I already had at twelve weeks pregnant. Placing a hand on it, as I often did these days, I made some breakfast and went for a walk, before arriving home and curling up on the couch with a book. I had dozed off when I heard a knock on the door. Groggily, I walked to the door and opened it, expecting Lilly on the other side.

To my horror and surprise, it was not Lilly, but Derek, on the other side of the door. I quickly crossed my arms in front of my stomach, hiding the small bump from view.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, the Ice Queen look on my face again as it had the first time I met him.

"I had to see you," he explained, "I had to explain. It's not what you think."

"Really?" I questioned, "Because it looked like you were kissing a sixteen year old girl who happened to be part of one of your cases. I looked her up. She was pretty attached to you, wasn't she?"

"It was all a mistake," Derek said, "We were talking about her dad and her mom and she told me how much she'd missed me, and before I knew it, she was kissing me. I pushed her away and let her know that I had a girlfriend who I loved and that it wasn't ever going to happen."

"You knew how hard it was for me," I began, tears forming in my eyes, "It was so hard for me to trust you. I gave you my heart and you stomped on it."

"Please Sylvie," Derek pleaded, "You have to believe me. I never wanted to hurt you. I love you. You're the only one that I want to be with."

"How could I ever trust you again?" I asked, wanting so badly to tell him about the baby because I knew how excited he would be.

"Sylvie, give me another chance," Derek insisted, "I promise that I will do everything in my power to make it up to you for the rest of my life."

* * *

I took a deep breath, seeing the sadness in his eyes, and thought about the baby. I knew I didn't want he or she to grow up without a father and I knew Derek felt the same way, due to his past. I knew that Derek would commit and be there for me and for the baby.

Suddenly, as Derek remained standing there, I felt a flutter in my stomach. From what I had read, during a woman's second pregnancy, movement was detected earlier than in the first pregnancy. I felt that it was a sign somehow, and I was able to crack a small smile, before inviting Derek in to talk.

I sat down in a large, cushy armchair, while Derek sat on the couch.

"How's the team?" I asked, not having contact with any of them since leaving the US.

"They're good," Derek replied, "We've all missed you. It hasn't been the same without you."

"I've missed them too," I said looking intently at him, "And you."

Not being able to stand it anymore, I stood up and almost literally jumped into his arms. Feeling his strong arms around me made me feel safe again.

Derek's arms were still wrapped around me and mine around his neck when I pulled myself slightly from his grasp and looked up at him.

* * *

"Derek, there's something that I need to tell you," I said, taking a deep breath.

"Is everything okay?" Derek asked, giving me a worried glance.

"Yeah," I replied, "I'm fine. Everything will be back to normal in six months."

Derek looked at me, obviously confused, so I stepped away and unbuttoned the shirt I was wearing, dropping it on the floor and stepping back towards Derek. I took one of his hands, and placed it on my slightly distended abdomen, knowing that he would be able to feel the bump that was there.

"I'm pregnant Derek," I said, a smile on my face as I saw his eyes widen and smile appear on his face too.

He looked down at my stomach and then back up at me, shock still present in his face.

"Are you serious?" he asked, disbelief still present in his voice.

"Yeah," I replied, "Twelve weeks. I found out the day I left."

Tears came to my eyes and his surprise turned to worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked taking my face in his hands.

"I'm just scared," I admitted, my head now bent towards the floor, "I never expected to be in this situation. Being pregnant again and being in love with the father. I just don't want to mess anything up."

Derek lifted my chin with his hand and looked me in the eyes.

"I love you," Derek said, "And I'm not leaving you anytime soon. I'm going to be here, every step of the way. So, come back with me. Both of you."

I took another deep breath, ready and willing to be happy for the first time in my life. I nodded, and Derek pulled me into a tight hug, placing a kiss on my head.

* * *

So, I packed my stuff, gave the landlord back the key, and we were leaving. We visited Lilly before we left and she was definitely happy to see me go, since I'd been bugging her nonstop for a month.

The plane ride was long and I ended up falling asleep for most of it. We finally made it back home and I unpacked my stuff at my place before Derek and I headed to the office to tell the team the good news.

When we walked into the bullpen, everyone was sitting around talking and laughing, but when they turned and saw me, I was ambushed. Hugs and well-wishes and "I missed you's" came from all over.

"We're very glad that you're back Sylvie," Hotch said, an unusual smile on his face.

Everyone was trying to look like they weren't staring at the baby bump. Derek and I had decided to just let them figure it, so I wore a tight-fitting t-shirt that showed off the slight bulge that was beginning to form.

"Since you're all here," Derek began, "There's something that Sylvie and I want to tell you all."

Everyone looked eager and excited, Penelope even jumping up and down.

"Sylvie and I are having a baby," Derek announced, which got the whole team jumping up and down.

"How far along are you?" JJ asked as she hugged me.

"Almost thirteen weeks," I replied, "The doctor told me that we should be able to find out the gender next month."

"Have you thought about names?" Penelope asked, "Because Penelope is a great name. Very distinguished I think."

"You know," Spencer added, "One in three sets of parents name their child after someone else. I think something like Edgar would be nice or maybe Brontë for a girl?"

"We haven't talked about it yet," I said, trying to get everyone to calm down, "But we would love some suggestions."

* * *

That got everyone making a list. By the time Derek and I returned back to my place, we had five long lists of baby names to look at.

"This is going to take a very long time," I said, laughing as we laid in bed, looking at the lists.

"Whose should we look at first?" Derek asked, rifling through the pile.

"JJ's," I quickly said, "Hers will probably be the most practical. Then Hotch's, then Rossi's, then Spence's, and then Penelope's."

The names on JJ's list were really cute. For boys: Nicholas, Grey, and Isaac. For girls: Adelaide, Charlotte, and Grace.

"What do you think?" I asked looking over at Derek, who was, very poorly, trying to pretend to be asleep.

"Hey, that's not funny," I exclaimed, hitting his arm, "This is important. A baby's name is something they're going to live with for the rest of their life."

"Okay, okay," Derek said, surrendering, "Why don't we go into the gender ultrasound having a girl name and a boy name picked out, that way it'll be easy."

It was definitely not easy for Derek to like a name. He didn't like any of JJ's picks, so we moved onto Hotch's list.

For boys: Simon, Zachary, and Benjamin. For girls: Haley, Bailey, and Arabella

"I didn't even know Haley," I said, mentioning Hotch's late wife who had been killed by an UNSUB, "What was she like?"

"She was incredible," Derek replied, "A great mom and wife. She put up with this job longer than most women would. In then end, the only reason they got a divorce was because of the job. They still loved each other through it all."

* * *

"The name makes me think of..." I trailed off, trying to keep the tears that were welling in my eyes from making an appearance.

"What?" Derek said, interlocking our fingers and looking concerned.

"I had a sister named Lee," I said, "She was two years older than me and she died when I was six. Complications due to pneumonia. She was only eight."

"I'm really sorry," Derek said, pressing a kiss to my cheek, "Do you want to stop looking at names?"

"No," I said, wiping the tears away, "We still have three more lists."

Rossi's list consisted of Aldo, Enzo, and Matteo for boys and Contessa, Giavanna, and Natalia for girls. All Italian names, not surprisingly.

Spencer's list consisted of Einstein, Edgar, and Merton for boys and Brontë, Emilie, and Rose. Mostly after famous scientists, authors, etc. Again, not surprising.

Penelope's list consisted of Jacob, Noah, and Alexander for boys and Sophia, Abigail, and, of course, Penelope for girls. All super popular names that you hear all the time.

"What names do you like?" I asked, setting the pile of lists on the bedside table and turning off the lamp, turning to face Derek.

"I always wanted to name a son after my dad," Derek said somberly, "But I guess Penelope beat me to putting it on a list."

"Alexander," I said, smiling, "It's Greek and it means defender of men. Fitting, don't you think?"

"It's a strong name," Derek replied, placing a hand on my stomach, "Alexander Lee Morgan, I think he likes it."

"I've been thinking since I found out that it's a boy," I said, placing my hand on top of his, "Mother's intuition is always right."

"That was easier than I thought it would be," Derek stated, "Now all that's left is a girl name."

"I'm tired," I pouted, "Can we figure it out later?"

"But Sylvie," Derek lectured, "Aren't you the one who said that a baby's name is something they're going to live with for the rest of their life? This is kind of important, don't you think?"

He turned to me, but I had already fallen asleep, dreaming about our happy little family.

* * *

_A new baby is like the beginning of all things, hope, a dream of possibilities._

**I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter but I really wanted to give you guys a new chapter! I have been super busy with the end of school and finals, etc. My chapters and updates will become regular soon, I promise! Also, I have a poll on my profile about the baby's name. I have already decided on the gender, but so I don't spoil it, I will post both boy and girl names! Please go vote!**

**Also, if you have any suggestions for names, please leave them in the reviews! Maybe the name you suggest will be the one that I choose!**

**For now though, what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the tenth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have also have another fanfiction that I am currently writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime and romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles!You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank Lenika08, Miss McGee, and 36MaryRose36 for their amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

_You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need. ~Mick Jagger_

_**One month later-Sylvie is 17 weeks pregnant.**_

* * *

Sylvie's POV

The day had finally come, the day we would find out what the baby was. Even though, Derek and I were already calling the baby Alex because we were totally convinced that it was a boy. We made it to Dr. Hale's office right on time and were led to a room, waiting for Dr. Hale to arrive. Once she did, we got the ultrasound started.

She started moving the probe around on my now bare stomach until we finally heard the heartbeat. Then, we finally saw the baby.

"So, I'm taking some measurements," Dr. Hale said, "And your baby looks on right track with growth. Do you want to know the gender?"

We both looked at each and smiled.

"We're actually going to have a gender party with our friends and family," I explained, "Could you put the gender in an envelope for us?"

"Of course," Dr. Hale replied, moving the probe around, "Those are becoming quite popular these days. Do you have any guesses?"

"We both think it's a boy," I said, smiling as Derek held my hand.

"Do you have a name picked out?" she asked, trying to find out the gender for us by moving the probe all around.

"Yeah, actually we do," Derek said, looking hopeful, "Alexander Lee."

"That is a great name," Dr. Hale said, "Alright, I am 100% sure of the gender."

She gave us the envelope and we dropped it off at the bakery, where we would pick up the cake at the party that weekend.

* * *

Thankfully, we didn't get a case, and we were able to have the party. It was all Penelope's idea and organizing. The venue was Rossi's backyard, and Penelope had decorated perfectly for the occasion. Blue and pink paper lanterns were strung all across the yard. There was a table on which were two whiteboards. One proudly boasting Boy, the other displaying Girl. Each guest would write their name under whichever gender they thought the baby would be. Additionally, each guest was supposed to wear pink or blue, depending on what they thought the baby was going to be.

I was wearing a light blue dress with a pink sparkly belt, showing off my baby bump. Pink sandals adorned my feet. Extrememly recently, I had been having doubts about the gender. First, I would be sure that it was a boy, knowing that was what Derek was hoping for. But then, the thought of a little girl would cross my mind, and that would feel right. Derek, however, had no doubts. He was wearing a blue polo shirt with blue plaid shorts, proudly showing off his supposed knowledge that the baby would be a boy.

Derek's mom and sisters had flown in from Chicago for the party. They come earlier that week and we met for the first time and got to get to know each other. Derek's mom was wearing a pink dress. Sarah was wearing a white skirt and a dark blue beaded top. Desiree, wanting to be right either way, was wearing a sky blue top with a pink floral print skirt.

The team was also divided on the gender. Hotch, Jack, Reid, and Will were all wearing blue, confident that the "BAU boy curse" as they called, would still carry on. JJ, Penelope, Dave, and Henry were wearing pink, thinking that today would be the day that the curse would be broken.

At last, after eating some finger foods and talking with everyone, it was time to find out. Penelope brought out the cake and set it on the table. My hands were shaking as I picked up the knife. Soon enough, though, Derek's strong hand came over mine and steadied my grip. We looked at each other and smiled, ready to know what this baby was.

We made the first cut into the cake, not able to sneak a peek, so we made the second cut, and the piece fell out onto a paper plate. There was no speculation as to what the baby was now, seeing the bright pink inside of the cake. It was a girl!

Shouts and cheers came from the crowd of our family and friends. Derek and I just looked at each other, mouths open in disbelief and awe.

* * *

Of course, after finding out that the baby was a girl, the only questions that we got at the party were, "What's her name?", "Do you have a name picked out?" We hadn't even decided on a girl name, too confident that it was a boy.

We left the party, still unable to really speak, from the shock of the gender. We had both, mostly Derek, but kind of me too, been expecting it to be a boy.

Once we got back to my place, we both sat on the couch and looked at each other, silence filling the room.

"So, I guess we're going to have to pick out a new name," I said, a small smile on my face as we both started laughing.

But, all too soon, our happiness was interrupted by the ringing of Derek's cell phone.

"A case?" I said, feeling exhausted.

"Yeah, we'd better get going," he said, helping me off the couch.

After much arguing, Derek had finally agreed to let me work, but I wasn't allowed into the field. I would be confined to whatever police station in whatever city we were called to. Officially, I was the team's new media liason, courtesy of Derek having a conversation with Hotch shortly after we told the team.

The case ended up being a quick one to Georgia. The UNSUB left DNA on his latest victim, and he was in the system for a parole violation. He didn't put up a fight when we arrested him, even though he had tortured and killed four women.

I slept during the plane ride home, so tired. This pregnancy was already draining me, and I still had 23 weeks to go!

* * *

While I was sleeping, I had a dream. In the dream, I saw a beautiful little girl with dark hair, tan skin, and bright blue eyes. She was smiling and laughing. The last thing I saw was the name Halee before I awoke. Halee, I thought. A name that I wouldn't have previously considered, but it was beautiful. It honored my sister and Hotch's wife, who I now knew to be an amazing woman who died protecting her son.

When Derek and I got home, we settled down with some Chinese takeout and started talking about names again.

"What do you think about Halee?" I asked, slightly cringing while waiting for his response.

"I've always liked the name," Derek said, "But what if we spelled it in a way that would honor your sister and Haley Hotchner?"

I quickly grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and wrote down the name: Halee Morgan.

"What do you think?" I asked Derek, "Is it the right name?"

"Why don't we let her decide?" Derek replied, a smile on his face.

The baby had been moving lately and Derek and I had both been able to feel flutters of movement from time to time when we talked.

We sat down on the couch, both of our hands resting on my now exposed stomach.

"Well, baby girl, it's all up to you," I told her, "Do you like the name Halee?"

Suddenly, I could feel an array of flutters, and from the look on Derek's face, he could too.

"Then it's settled," Derek stated, "Halee Morgan."

"What about a middle name?" I asked, opening up a whole new can of worms.

Derek sat there for a minute thinking before relief flooded his face.

"Halee Grace Morgan," he said with a smile, and again, the flutters came.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked him, still afraid that he might leave.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Derek replied, placing a sweet kiss to my lips, "You are already an amazing mother."

* * *

A while later, as we cuddled on the couch while watching a movie, I decided to express a thought that had been in my mind for weeks.

"Derek, we really need to figure out our living situation," I firmly exclaimed, "When the baby comes, we probably shouldn't be living in different houses."

"Well, my place is bigger, and it's a detached house with a big backyard," Derek explained, "I think it would make the most sense."

"Agent Morgan," I said flirtatiously, "Are you asking me to move in with you?"

"Let me clear up the confusion," Derek said, getting off the couch and down onto one knee, pulling something out of his pocket.

My eyes widened. How could he be proposing to me? I mean, I expected it to happen sooner or later, emphasis on the later, but not now.

"Sylvie Runningwolf," he said, pulling out a house key and holding it out towards me, "Will you move in with me?"

I laughed, a large smile coming to my face, and relief flooded my mind. I took a deep breath and took the key from him, wrapping my arms around his neck as he spun me around. It was still hard for me to believe that his was all happening.

I never thought that I would be here, now. If you would have told me six months ago that I would be in a relationship with Derek Morgan, a member of the BAU, and pregnant, I would have laughed in your face. But now, I'm so grateful for all of it, the good and the bad.

* * *

_A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts the world has to give._

* * *

**I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter but I really wanted to give you guys a new chapter! I have been super busy with the end of school and finals, etc. My chapters and updates will become regular soon, I promise! **

**For now though, what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the eleventh chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have also have another fanfiction that I am currently writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime and romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles!You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank musicluver246 and Lenika08 for their amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

Chapter Twelve

_Always be prepared. Life is full of the unexpected._

* * *

_**Sylvie is now 28 weeks pregnant~February**_

Sylvie's POV

My pregnancy had been progressing and now, in only twelve weeks, we would meet Halee Grace. I could still remember us telling the team the name we had chosen while at Rossi's Christmas party.

_Flashback_

_The party had been in full swing, everyone laughing and talking at the table inside while we waited for dinner to be served. Once everyone had poured their drinks, Derek cleared his throat and we both stood up._

"_If it's okay with all of you, Sylvie and I would like to make an announcement," Derek said, taking my hand._

"_Oh my gosh!" Penelope exclaimed, practically jumping out of her seat, "Are you guys engaged?"_

"_No, Pen, calm down," I encouraged, "We're not ready for that just yet, but we have chosen a name for the baby."_

"_If it's okay with you, Hotch, we'd like to name her Halee," Derek said, both of us nervous at what his reaction would be._

_Hotch got a little choked up, the first time I'd ever seen him like that, and looked over at Jack, who was sitting at a small kids table with Henry, laughing and playing with his food._

"_I think Haley would love that," Hotch managed to say, as Derek and I sat back down and everyone began to eat, while I self-conciously stroked my baby bump._

_End Flashback_

* * *

Despite Derek's insistence that I not come on cases with the team and stay behind with Penelope, I managed to convince Hotch to let me be the team's new media liason, at least until Halee decided to make her appearance. Unfortunately, the past few weeks had been killer. Three cases in two weeks and on top of all the work-related stress, I had been having intense headaches that wouldn't go away. Additionally, I'd been really nauseous and unable to eat really anything at all. I chalked it up to the pregnancy and all the stress. I also didn't tell Derek. I didn't want him to worry.

We were now back at Quantico and I had mountains of paperwork to go through, to choose what cases we would consult on and which we would just create a profile for. I was sitting at my desk, fighting another extreme headache, when my vision suddenly got a bit blurry. I blinked and shook my head, trying to concentrate on what I was doing. Derek and Reid had gone on a prison interview in Connecticut, leaving the rest of us at the office.

What snapped me out of the paperwork in front of me was a sharp pain in my stomach. My hand immediately went to rub my stomach, trying to breathe through the pain in my head and in my abdomen. Soon though, the pain had become dull and I took a stack of cases to Hotch's office, leaving them on his desk since he was in a meeting with Strauss. When I returned to my office, I saw Penelope sitting in my chair.

"Hey sweet cheeks," she said, smiling, "Having fun?"

Before I could answer, another sharp pain, this one worst than the last, made me flinch.

"Linds," Penelope said, "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," I tried to say, before another pain made me double over.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Penelope said, taking me by the hand and quickly driving me to the emergency room.

* * *

After being hooked up to a heart rate machine and having an external contraction monitor strapped on my belly, a doctor came in. Penelope was sitting next to me, holding my hand.

"Well, Miss Runningwolf," he began, "My name is Dr. Kane. It seems that you are in the early stages of labor. Since you are only twenty-eight weeks along, we have given you magnesium sulfate to stop the contractions."

"What caused this?" I asked, still scared that something could happen.

"It appears that you are showing early signs of what is known as preeclampsia," Dr. Kane said, reviewing my charts, "You have very high blood pressure and protein in your urine from what we can see. The headaches and the nausea that you told us about are also signs of preeclampsia. Left untreated, it can lead to serious, and sometimes fatal, complications for you and your baby."

"So what do I have to do?" I again asked.

"Because of your age and the baby's slightly elevated heart rate, I would advise you to remain here in the hospital on bedrest for the remainder of your pregnancy," Dr. Kane said sympathetically.

"Thank you Dr. Kane," I replied, forcing a small smile before he left the room.

"Everything's going to be just fine pumpkin," Penelope assured me, "I can't call Derek until he gets out of the prison since they took his phone. I guess I could call the prison directly or I could hack into the intercom system, now that could be fun..."

"Pen, really, I'm fine," I tried to make her believe, "Why don't you go back to work and let everyone know what's going on. I'll still be here when you get back."

"If you insist," Penelope said smugly, "But I'll stop by your place on the way back and grab a few things for you. And I think I'll let you call the chocolate thunder god. I don't think he'll want to here this news from me."

"Thanks Pen," I said as she left.

I leaned back against the pillow and looked down at my hospital gown covered baby bump.

"Little girl, you need to stay in there for a little while longer," I coaxed, "But your daddy and I are so excited to meet you."

* * *

"I hope I'm not interrupting," a dark-haired woman said as she was pushed into the room in a wheelchair by a nurse, "I heard there was a new woman on the floor and I thought I would come introduce myself."

"No, of course," I replied, "I'd actually love the company."

"Thanks Barbara, I think I'll stay in here for a while," the woman said, as the nurse wheeled her to the side of my bed and then left, "I'm Mia Mancini."

"Sylvie Runningwolf," I smiled, I liked this woman.

"So how far along are you and what are you in for?" she asked me.

"Twenty-eight weeks and preeclampsia," I explained, my hand self-consciously rubbing my baby bump, "What about you?"

"Well, as you can tell from my whale-like appearance, I'm having triplets," Mia explained, "And they decided that they wanted to try and come ten weeks early a month and a half ago."

"Triplets!" I exclaimed, "Wow, that sounds like it's going to be a handful."

"Try adding triplets to a house with four year old twin boys and a two year old son," Mia laughed, "Now that's a handful."

"What are their names?" I asked inquisitively, now having someone to talk to.

"The twins are Leo and Luca," Mia said, "And then there's our little troublemaker Dante."

She handed me her phone and I saw a family picture of her, her husband, and the three boys. They all had dark hair and dark eyes, looking just like their parents.

"What about you?" Mia asked, "Do you have any other kids?"

"I have an eighteen year old daughter named Lilly," I said, "She's in Finland attending Sibelius Academy."

"You don't look old enough to have an adult daughter," Mia complimented me.

"I had her when I was a teenager," I quickly replied, "Long story."

"Well, the one thing you need when you're in here on bed-rest is a good support system," Mia explained, "It's the only way you'll keep your sanity. These three little girls could come at any time. Typical girls, wanting to keep us on our toes."

"Have you decided what you're going to name them?" I inquired.

"Well, keeping with our Italian heritage," Mia began, "We're pretty sure they're going to be named Mattea, Sophia, and Isabella. But who knows? We changed our minds about Dante's name six times before we filled out the birth certificate."

"I'm glad that we already know what our little girl's name is," I said, looking at my bump lovingly.

"So what do you and your boyfriend do for a living?" Mia asked.

"Um, well, we both are FBI agents," I hesitantly told her, "We both work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit."

"I've heard about you," Mia exclaimed, "Well, your team anyway. That sounds way more interesting than my career as a stay-at-home mom and my husband's as a soldier."

"Is he deployed right now?" I asked Mia.

"Yeah," she replied, "He's been deployed for nine months and he has three more to go."

"That must be hard," I stated, as I looked at my phone and realized that Derek would be just getting out of the prison.

"I actually have to call my boyfriend, but we'll definitely have to hang out again soon," I said, "Thanks for talking to me."

Mia slowly wheeled herself out of the room and I dialed the all-too-familiar number.

* * *

"I'm so glad you called," Derek answered right away, "After two hours with a sociopath, it's nice to hear such a beautiful voice. How are my girls doing?"

"That's actually why I called," I said hesitantly.

"Is something wrong?" Derek asked, "Are you both okay?"

"We're fine," I replied, "We just had to make a trip to the E.R."

"I thought you said you were both fine," Derek said, obviously confused.

"We are, now. Your daughter got a little too excited to meet us," I explained, "And it didn't help that I have preeclampsia."

"I'm on my way home and then I'll be there," Derek assured me.

"The doctor wants me to stay here until the baby comes, which could be any time," I stated, "If my blood pressure gets too high or if Halee's heart rate drops, we'll have to have an emergency C-section."

In a matter of hours, it was ten o'clock and I had fallen asleep. I was soon, however, woken up by loud voices in the hallway.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but visiting hours are long over," a nurse said.

"My girlfriend is a patient," I heard Derek say, and he must have shown the nurse his credentials, because soon, he was in my room, sitting in the chair next to me.

"Hey," he said, placing a kiss to my forehead, "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Don't be," I insisted, "Your daughter has been kicking up a storm and that woke me up before I heard you harassing the nurses."

"So, I'm going to talk to Hotch tomorrow about getting some time off," Derek explained, "I don't want you to be here alone."

"No, you can't do that," I said, still tired and barely able to keep my eyes open, "You'll get so bored being here all day, every day, and the team needs you. When you're not on case, I know that you'll be here, but please, don't waste your time here with us when you could be saving lives."

Derek reluctantly agreed, but spent the night with me in the room, holding my hand the entire time. When morning came, he gave me and Halee kisses before heading off to work.

* * *

Only a few hours later, though, I got a text from him saying that they'd gotten called on a case and the team was heading to Boston.

And so my hospital stay began. Mia and I began to become very good friends and she even taught me how to knit that first week. It really helped to pass the time. I had my laptop and phone at all times, in case Derek skyped, texted, or called me.

Doctors were still monitoring my every move and Halee definitely gave us all a few scares and close calls. During a routine ultrasound a few weeks after I'd been admitted, the ultrasound tech wasn't able to find her heartbeat. Derek and I began to panic until Dr. Kane came in and was able to find it again. Her heart rate had dropped multiple times, but quickly come right back to normal levels. Derek and I were beginning to realize that Halee was already a handful, which gave us a small glimspe into the future.

* * *

The weeks passed, and three weeks after being admitted, I had a huge surprise for Mia. Being in the FBI sure had it's advantages. And then, when I found out the day that they had scheduled her C-Section, it just made the surprise even better. While she was still in her room, being prepped for surgery, her husband, Staff Sergeant Michael Mancini, walked in, making it one of the best reunions I had ever seen. I sat in my wheelchair in the doorway, and once Michael told her how he was able to get home, she was so thankful to me.

I later learned a few hours later that Mia had given birth to three beautiful little girls, who they did end up naming Mattea, Sophia, and Isabella. They were all perfectly healthy and loved by their big brothers and their mom and dad.

Derek and I, on the other hand, were relieved that we'd made it to the thirty-one week mark. Every day that Halee stayed inside me, she grew and developed. What we so desperately wanted was time. But, as we would soon learn again, you can't always get what you want.

* * *

_Nothing worth having comes easy. Nothing that comes easy is worth having._

**I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter but I really wanted to give you guys another new chapter! I have been super busy with the end of school and finals, etc. My chapters and updates will now become regular because it is SUMMER for me!**

**For now though, what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the twelfth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have also have another fanfiction that I am currently writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime and romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles!You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank Lenika08 and 36MaryRose36 for their amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

_God made me so that you can see small things are strong too._

_**Sylvie is now 31 weeks pregnant~March**_

* * *

Sylvie's POV

It was just another routine check, something I was getting used to in the hospital. It was the day after the triplets were born, now the fifth of March. But this routine check turned into so much more.

The nurse, Reilly, came in and looked at my blood pressure chart, frowning. She then grabbed the doppler and quickly found the baby's heartbeat, which sounded different than before.

"Miss Runningwolf," Reilly began as she pressed the button by my bed that paged the doctor, "Your blood pressure is extremely elevated at 165/110 and the baby's heart rate has dropped. We are sending you in for an emergency C-section. Is there anyone that I can call for you?"

"My boyfriend," I was able to say before I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I was now glad that the team hadn't gotten called on a case today.

Everything happened so fast. Derek got there just in time, as they were giving me anesthesia in the operating room. Before I knew it, I felt an immense amount of pressure, as Derek held my hand. I heard a faint cry, but baby girl was whisked away. I caught a glimpse of her and noticed how small she was. I assured Derek that it was okay and he went with Halee to the NICU.

* * *

After they took me to a recovery room, the team entered into my room. I was still groggy, but noticeably upset and crying. They tried to comfort me the best they could, but every minute that I didn't hear anything I freaked out a bit more. Finally, after what seemed like forever, a female doctor came into the room.

"Hi Sylvie," she said, coming up and standing next to my bed, "My name is Dr. Amanda Grace and I'm one of the neonatal doctors that will be working with your daughter."

"How is she?" I asked, very worried, "Is she okay?"

"She's doing well, considering she's about eight weeks premature," Dr. Grace said, "She ended up weighing four pounds and was seventeen and a half inches long. Her father is in with her now doing what we call kangaroo care, which is skin to skin contact to help her learn to regulate her body temperature. Her lungs are almost fully developed too, which is a great sign."

"So, she'll be okay?" I said, relieved and breathing again.

"She could be going home in a few weeks," Dr. Grace replied, "But let's not get our hopes up. They should be bringing her in in a few minutes."

* * *

Dr. Grace was right. A few minutes later, Derek walked into my room, and just by looking at him I could tell that he had been crying, which made me start crying. A nurse followed close behind, a small bundle with a pink hat in her arms. The nurse smiled at me as she transported Halee from her arms to mine. I looked at her and was in awe. Her hat had begun to fall off, which made me realize how much she really did look like Derek. She had lots of black hair. Her skin was darker than mine, but lighter than Derek's. And when she opened her eyes, they were the most amazing shade of blue. I couldn't believe that she looked exactly how I had seen her in my dream.

"Sylvie, she's perfect," Derek said as he kissed me, "I love you so much."

"I love you too Derek," I replied, "Thank you."

"For what?" Derek asked, looking confused.

"For giving me this beautiful little girl," I answered, looking at Halee and smiling.

"You have some visitors," Dr. Grace said, "I'll send them right in."

We spent a few more minutes alone before the whole team made their way into the room.

"You guys, she is beautiful," JJ cooed as everyone gathered around to see her, "Is she okay?"

"They said that she could be coming home in a few weeks," I said hopefully, "She has to regulate her body temperature, breathe on her own, and eat a certain amount before they'll release her, but she weighed four pounds and was seventeen and a half inches long."

"Po'di bellezza," Rossi smiled.

"Yo, Godfather," Derek laughed, "I don't think anyone knows what you're saying, besides Pretty Boy of course."

"She is a little beauty," Rossi said, "And I resent that."

* * *

We spent about fifteen minutes visiting with the team before they all had to get back to work. Dr. Grace came back in and took Halee back to the NICU, where she would have to reside for the remainder of our hospital stay.

Three weeks later, we were finally bringing Halee home. I had gone home a few days after Halee had been born, but Derek had taken personal time and stayed with me for those three weeks, visiting Halee and spending some much-needed time together.

Halee gave us a few scares along the way. For the first week after she was born, she couldn't keep food down, and they ended up having to put her on a feeding tube. That only lasted a week though, thank God. Her body temperature fluctuated for the first few days, making Dr. Grace encourage us to continue doing kangaroo care, but we didn't mind. It gave us each time to bond with her and make a connection.

But, finally, it was time to bring Halee home. Derek and I had finally gotten all of my stuff moved into his place, well, now our place. Derek's mom and sisters had come down and done the nursery, unbeknownst to us. There was a lot of pink, something that I liked. They had painted pink and white stripes on the wall and hung wooden letters that spelled out Halee's name on the wall above her crib. The team and Derek's family had also been an essential part in filling Halee's closet and dresser. We had bought a few things, but being so busy with work had left us with only a handful of outfits.

After arriving at the hospital and filling out a mountain of paperwork, which reminded both of us of work at the BAU, we got Halee into her car seat and left the hospital with her for the first time. We arrived home to a large welcoming party, full of family and friends.

* * *

After several hours, the party-goers had left and Halee was asleep. Derek and I were sitting on the couch, my head on his shoulder and our hands entwined, already exhausted.

"You have to go back to work tomorrow you know," I reminded him.

"I was thinking that I would take a little more time off," Derek proposed, "Stay here and help you with the baby."

"You know how much I would love that," I smiled, "But the team needs you. Penelope was telling me that the cases are really piling up."

"I just don't want you here doing it alone," Derek sighed.

"I'll be fine," I tried to assure him, lifting my head up to look him in the eye, "We both will. I promise."

It was a pretty sleepless night for us. Even though I insisted Derek stay in bed and get some sleep since he would be going to work tomorrow, whenever he heard Halee crying on the monitor, he jumped up and went to see what was wrong. I followed behind him and admired how great he was with her already. We had made the decision together that I should breastfeed, after reading about the health benefits and hearing the statistics from Reid, which made feeding Halee the only thing Derek couldn't do.

* * *

After getting about four hours of sleep, if that, I woke up and didn't feel Derek next to me. Looking at my phone, I saw that it was seven o'clock, so I rolled out of bed and groggily walked into the hallway, stopping when I heard Derek talking to Halee in her nursery.

"Oh, you pretty little girl," he cooed, "You know, everyone says you look like me, but I think you look just like your mommy. And you're stubborn just like her too."

This made me smile and I had to stop myself from laughing. Halee began to cry softly and what Derek did next made me cry.

"Oh, hey baby girl, we've gotta let momma sleep," Derek murmured, "Hmmm...isn't she lovely, Isn't she wonderful, Isn't she precious."

Then I decided to walk in. not being able to stand it anymore. Derek was sitting in the rocking chair, looking tired, but happy. When he saw me, he kept singing.

"I never thought through love we'd be, making one as lovely as she, but isn't she lovely made from love," he finished, smiling at me as Halee fell back asleep.

"You should get going or you're going to be late," I smiled as he set her down in her crib and we walked out, quietly shutting the door, "I don't think Strauss will be too happy if you're late on your first day back."

"I'll let you know if we get a case," Derek said, kissing me, "I love you."

"I love you too," I smiled, walking him to the door, "Now go before you're late."

"I'll call you later to see how you're doing," Derek said as I shut the door in his face.

"Goodbye Agent Morgan," I laughed.

* * *

Surprisingly, my day actually went pretty well. Halee basically had a cycle: eat, sleep, poop. Derek called me four times. The fourth time being to tell me that they'd gotten a case in Michigan, which meant I really would be doing this by myself. After getting Halee to sleep at seven that night, my phone rang, and I smiled when I saw that it was Lilly.

"Hey stranger," I said.

"Hi mom," Lilly replied, "How's my beautiful little sister?"

"She's asleep, thank goodness," I sighed, "How's school?"

"Well," Lilly began, "The pipes burst and there's a ton of water damage so they've shut the school down for the next six months so they can rebuild. They were going to rebuild anyway, so it came as kind of a blessing."

"So what are you going to do now?" I asked, loading the dishwasher as quietly as I could.

"Well, I was wondering if I could crash at your place until I have to go back to school," Lilly suggested, "If that's okay with you and Derek."

"You know that would be fine," I laughed, "I could use the help. When can you get a flight?"

Then I heard a knock on the door. Confused, I walked towards it and opened it, surprised when I saw Lilly on the other side of entrance, surrounded by luggage. I quickly hugged her and helped her bring her stuff in as best as I could, still sore from the c-section.

* * *

We spent the next hour or so catching up, talking about Halee and Derek and school before Halee woke up and Lilly got the chance to hold her baby sister.

"You know, it's weird," I started to say, "Halee actually does look like you too, not just me and Derek."

"The only thing about me that looks Indian is my hair," Lilly smiled, "The blue eyes don't really scream Cherokee Indian."

Lilly's ice-blue eyes were the only thing that made her remotely look like me. Many would've thought that, because of her looks, she would've dated a lot in high school, but it was actually the complete opposite. Sure, she had a lot of friends who were guys and she went on dates and to prom and what not, but she never had a serious boyfriend. Instead, choosing to focus on the cello and getting into Sibelius.

"So, is there anyone that you're seeing?" I asked, trying to be casual.

"No," she replied, "I'm so busy at school that I don't really have the time."

"Well, now that you're here for six months, maybe you'll meet someone," I smiled, "You never know."

"There was this guy on the plane," Lilly began, "And I gave him my number. But I don't think he'll call."

"You are a beautiful, talented, incredible woman," I stated, "He would be stupid not to."

And so the adventure began. Life with a newborn daughter and my now nineteen year old daughter, while Derek was away on a case, hopefully coming home soon.

* * *

_It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it._

* * *

**I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter but I really wanted to give you guys another new chapter! I have been super busy with my online class and getting ready for a trip that I'm taking in a week. My chapters and updates will become regular soon, I promise!**

**I know this all kind of happened fast, but I wanted to get to Halee being born and the adventures that Derek, Sylvie, and Lilly will go through now that she is here. **

**For now though, what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the thirteenth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have also have another fanfiction that I am currently writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime and romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**

**And I have also started a fanfiction called Decisions, Decisions. It is a Derek Morgan/OC and Aaron Hotchner/OC story. Check it out and review please!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles!You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank Lenika08 and 36MaryRose36 for their amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

_People build up walls, not to keep others out, but to see who cares enough to break them down._

_**Halee is now six weeks old. (Three weeks have passed since the last chapter.)**_

* * *

Sylvie's POV

Derek's case in Michigan had lasted for five days, but he had finally gotten home, surprised to see Lilly here, but after hearing about her situation, was really glad that she was going to be staying with us. I really wanted Derek and Lilly to grow closer and have some sort of relationship. Lilly had never had a father figure in her life and I didn't want to force the relationship between the two of them, but then again, I did.

Lilly had been unusually happy the past few weeks that she had been here so far and her phone had been glued to her. She was always texting and talking to someone, the identity of which I still did not know. Halee was keeping us all very busy. Lilly was a big help, letting me take a break for a few hours to take a nap and get some housework done. Lilly had gone and gotten a job working at The Levine School of Music teaching Cello while she would be here.

I was in the kitchen making dinner, waiting for Derek to get home when Lilly walked in, dressed in a way that I knew she was going out. Halee was laying in her bouncer on the kitchen table, wide awake.

"Where are you off to?" I asked, stirring the pasta sauce that I was making.

"I'm just going out with a friend," Lilly replied nonchalantly, walking over to Halee and making a funny face at her, which made her smile.

"Just a friend?" I questioned, giving her that all-knowing mom look, "It wouldn't happen to be that friend you've been texting and talking to for the past two weeks, would it?"

"Alright mom, you got me," Lilly smiled, "His name is Finn."

"And how old is Finn?" I asked, being the typical worrying mother.

"Mom, he's twenty-three," Lilly said, exasperated.

"Well, don't come home too late," I replied, "We're taking family pictures in the morning."

"Okay," Lilly said as the doorbell rang.

"And he even comes to the door," I said astonished, "This one's a keeper."

"Can you get the door Mom?" Lilly questioned, heading up the stairs, "I forgot my phone."

* * *

I picked up Halee, who had started to get fussy, on my way to the door. Upon opening it, I saw a nice-looking guy with dark brown hair and green eyes, holding a bouquet of flowers, looking nervous.

"Hi Finn," I smiled, "I'm Lilly's mom Sylvie. Come on in. She should be right down."

He took a seat on the couch and I sat in a chair, the awkward silence becoming unbearable.

"Your daughter is adorable Miss Runningwolf," Finn finally spoke up as Lilly came down the stairs.

"She is pretty cute, isn't she?" Lilly said, smiling as she kissed Halee on the head.

"But so are you," Finn smiled as he took Lilly's hand and led her to the door.

That made me smile. This guy was good, but was he too good? I put that thought to the back of my mind as I finished making dinner, only to have Derek text me to say he would be home late because of paperwork that couldn't wait until tomorrow. I ate my dinner alone, as I'd become accustomed to over the past few weeks. After nursing Halee to sleep, I myself got into bed, thinking about Lilly and how her date was going and about Derek and how I was starting to feel really alone.

* * *

Lilly's POV

I got home from my date at midnight, head still spinning from the kiss that I had just received from Finn. Something about him was so different from the guys that had asked me out when I was in high school. I quietly walked into the house, only to find Derek on the couch, eating a bowl of ice cream.

"What are you doing up?" I asked, sounding like my mother.

"I had to work late," Derek replied, "I just got home a few minutes ago and I don't think your mom's too happy with me."

"She's just stressed about Halee," I reassured him, "Trust me. I know her. I did spend eighteen years of my life with her. She'll come around."

"Thanks," Derek said meekly, "So how was your date?"

"It was really good, actually," I replied, "First date I've been on since high school. Finn's a really great guy."

"So what's his full name?" Derek interrogated, "What does he do? Is he going to school? What are his future plans?"

"Getting the third degree at midnight?" I stated, "Not something I'm used to."

"Sorry," Derek said, shaking his head, "That was totally out of line."

"No, it's fine," I assured him, "I've just never had a father figure care about me before. My experience with dads is that they're horrible people, like mine."

"You know," Derek said, putting his bowl on the coffee table, "I'm a pretty good listener."

"His name is Finn Cardoza and he," I began before getting interrupted by Derek.

"He's the quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens," Derek finished, "He's the youngest and best quarterback the NFL has ever seen."

"Woah," I cut him off, "That's kinda freaky. But yeah, that's all right. How did you know that?"

"The Ravens are my favorite team," Derek told me, "I can't believe that my da-, I mean, that you're dating Finn Cardoza."

My eyes welled with tears as I heard Derek almost call me his daughter.

"You know," I said, trying to hold back the tears, "You're the closest thing that I've ever had to a dad. You've known me for a few months and you already know more about me than my own scum-bag of a biological father ever will."

"Lilly," Derek said, looking me in the eye, "I want you to know that I will always be here for you. I'm not planning on going anywhere and that's a promise."

"Thanks Derek," I said, but something was still bugging me, "Would it be okay if I called you dad? I mean, I know that you can't adopt me or anything, but when Halee gets older it would probably be easier for her if we both called you dad. I mean, I was just thinking about it. It's totally okay if..."

"Lilly, I would be honored," Derek said, cutting me off as he pulled me in for a hug and I totally broke down crying, "You know, you should invite Finn over for dinner."

This made me laugh, breaking the silence.

"I think that sounds like a great idea," I smiled, "But please don't smother him."

"Scout's honor," Derek replied.

"Were you even a boy scout?" I questioned.

"No, but I hear they're very trustworthy guys," Derek laughed, heading upstairs to face the possible wrath of my mom.

* * *

Sylvie's POV

The morning after Derek worked late, we had family pictures taken by Penelope in Rock Creek Park. I had forgiven Derek and felt bad about being mad at him. I knew it wasn't his fault that he had to work late. I was just so stressed about Halee that it was hard to accept any more stress. Penelope said the pictures turned out really well and I was excited to hang them at home. I had been wanting to take more pictures of us as a family and I finally found a day when no one was busy.

Tonight was going to be interesting. Lilly had invited Finn over for dinner and I was hoping that Derek wouldn't go all "FBI agent" on him. Something must have happened last night between Lilly and Derek, because they seemed a lot closer than ever before. Regardless, I made chicken carbonara, using the recipe that Dave had given to me the previous week to try out. I fed Halee before Finn arrived and she was sleeping by the time he did show up, right on time. He brought a bouquet of flowers, which he gave to me. This guy really knew how to impress. He also brought a small stuffed duck for Halee and when we showed it to her, she smiled. We sat down and ate dinner, making small talk, before Lilly and I got up to do the dishes and Derek and Finn went to the living room to talk.

* * *

Derek's POV

After dinner, through which Finn kept impressing us by telling us about his charity work and family, Lilly and Sylvie volunteered to do the dishes, giving Finn and I a chance to talk. I took him into the living room. He sat on the couch and I sat across from him in a chair.

"Has Lilly told you what I do for a living Finn?" I asked, wanting to scare him just enough to not hurt Lilly in the future.

"No sir," Finn replied, looking nervous.

"Well, I work for the FBI," I said smoothly, "The Behavior Analysis Unit. We profile and apprehend serial killers and rapists, as well as psychopaths and sociopaths."

"That sounds like a very, um, fulfilling line of work sir," Finn replied hastily.

"It is," I stated, "And it's prepared me to protect my family, especially my daughters."

"Sir, I just want you to know that my intentions are in the right place with Lilly," Finn began, "I'll admit, I dated a lot growing up. There's just something about Lilly that makes me want to be a better person."

"I respect that," I replied, "But I was a lot like you growing up. I got a full ride scholarship to Northwestern to play football and before I knew it, I blew my knee and my career was over. In the end, that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got my law degree and joined the FBI. Without all that happening, I would've never met the love of my life and I wouldn't have the amazing family that I have today. I just want you to know that, despite how much I like you, if you hurt Lilly, you'll have to answer to me."

"I understand Mr. Morgan, sir," Finn replied, shaking my hand as Sylvie and Lilly came into.

"I hope my dad didn't scare you too badly," Lilly said, taking a seat on the couch next to Finn, his hand intertwined with hers.

"No," Finn said, laughing.

"So Mom, Dad," Lilly said, looking at Finn, "You guys have plans for tomorrow night."

"We do?" Sylvie and I said at the same time, shocked.

"Yep," Lilly replied confidently, "You are going out to a fancy dinner and staying the night at the Mandarin Oriental. Finn and I are going to babysit Halee so you guys can have some time to yourselves."

"I don't know," Sylvie said nervously, "She's so young and I've never been away from her before."

"Mom," Lilly pleaded, "You need this. You and Derek need some time to yourselves. I'm helping you out, plus, we're babysitting for free. Where else are you going to find that on such short notice?"

"Well, I guess she would be okay for one night..." Sylvie trailed off, wondering how tomorrow night was going to go.

* * *

Sylvie's POV

I was looking in the mirror, thinking how terrible and fat I looked in the tight, short, red dress with a very low neckline. I had just had a baby six weeks ago, and I hadn't lost all the weight that I'd wanted to yet. As I kept turning and looking in the mirror, critiquing everything that was wrong, Lilly walked in.

"Wow, Mom," she said, "You look hot!"

"I think I should change," I nervously replied, going back into my walk-in closet, "Something more appropriate."

"Are you kidding me?" Lilly exclaimed, "Despite how gross it is to think about, Derek will be crazy not to want to rip that off you when you get to the hotel. If you wear those red stilettos, you'll kill."

So, Lilly and I walked downstairs, where Finn and Derek were sitting on the couch, watching some sort of sporting event, Halee fast asleep in Derek's arms. I kissed her forehead and she stirred, making a small squawking sound before curling back up against Derek, who quickly handed her off to Lilly, which made Halee very upset. Derek took my hand and we left, before I could back out. Our things were already in the car, so we drove to the restaurant, Komi, whose Mediterranean food tasted so good.

I was so proud of us. The entire dinner, neither of us mentioned Halee or Lilly or work. During the dinner, Derek had this look in his eye whenever he looked at me and I knew what it was. The doctor had told us that we had to wait at least six weeks before we could be intimate again, and now that the time had finally past, I knew we both had a lot of pent-up sexual intimacy that seriously needed to be addressed.

We left the restaurant, eager to get to the hotel. Upon arriving, we were told we were staying in the Presidential Suite of the Mandarin Oriental, which surprised us both. Without even thinking, we asked how that could be possible. The hotel manager told us that any friend of Finn Cardoza was a friend of the Mandarin Oriental. We made it up to our room, put our bags down, and basically lunged for each other. The dress came off and everything was perfect.

* * *

_I love a hand that meets my own with a grasp that causes some sensation. ~Samuel Osgood_

* * *

**I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter but I really wanted to give you guys another new chapter! I have been super busy because I went on a trip last week and haven't had much time to write since then! Sorry for the length between updates. It will become regular soon, I promise!**

**I know this all kind of happened fast, but I wanted to get to Halee being born and the adventures that Derek, Sylvie, and Lilly will go through now that she is here. **

**For now though, what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the fourteenth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have also have another fanfiction that I am currently writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime and romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**

**And I have also started a fanfiction called Decisions, Decisions. It is a Derek Morgan/OC and Aaron Hotchner/OC story. Check it out and review please!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles!You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank Lenika08 and 36MaryRose36 for their amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

_The person who loves you more will fight with you daily without any reason. But whenever you're sad, that person will fight with the world to end your sadness._

_**Four months later...Halee is now five and a half months old.**_

* * *

Sylvie' POV

Four months had passed, leaving us only two more months with Lilly before she went back to Finland. Although, with her now exclusively dating Finn Cardoza, I wasn't so sure that she would go back. The Levine School of Music had offered her a full-time teaching position with benefits and great pay, but she hadn't given them an answer yet. Her time was spent working, with Finn, or with Derek, Halee, and me. However, Derek had been around less and less in the past four months. I know that what he does is important and that he can't just not go on a case, but there are so many things that I need him around here to do. That was what our latest argument was about.

"Will you please keep your voice down?" I angrily whispered, "I just put Halee down for a nap."

I stormed into the kitchen, beginning to put the pile of dishes in the sink.

"I don't understand why it's so hard for you to do some work around here when you're home," I huffed, just wanting to end the fight.

"I just got home from a week-long case Sylv," Derek pleaded, "I'm tired and I just want some time to relax before it starts all over again."

"Derek, it's not like I can carry Halee around while I mow the lawn," I snapped, "It hasn't been touched in months. It looks like we're surrounded by a jungle."

"Well, why can't you just help me out and do it? It's not like you have that much to do here at home," Derek shouted, scaring me, but fueling the fire.

"If you would've been home during the past five months of Halee's life, you would have known that I barely get any sleep at all," I angrily cried, "I'm up with Halee for most of the night, and when she finally does go to sleep, I do the dishes and the laundry and pay the bills. I can't do yard work on top of everything else. It's not like I just sit around and watch soap operas all day. But I guess that's what you think I do. I really thought you thought more of me."

"You're the one who said I needed to go back to work!" Derek continued, "I would've taken more time off to help with her if you wanted me to."

"All I'm asking for is a little bit of effort and support," I said, rubbing my now throbbing head, "I can't raise a baby alone when it feels like her dad doesn't even want to be here."

"That's not fair and you know it," Derek strongly replied, "Why can't you..."

* * *

Just then, Halee's cries came through on the baby monitor. I looked at Derek, sighed angrily, and rolled my eyes, before going to check on her. I walked into her room, seeing her laying in her crib, her cries now turned to whimpers. I picked her up and sat down in the rocking chair.

"Shh...mommy's here sweetheart," I cooed, rocking her as she sucked on her fingers with one hand and played with my hair with the other, "Can you back to sleep for Mommy?"

Halee took her fingers out of her mouth and began to "talk" like she had been for the past month.

"Mamamamamama," she babbled, smiling the whole time.

"Such a smart little girl," I replied, her smile causing me to smile for the first time all day.

Twenty minutes later, after a quick nursing session, Halee had fallen back asleep, and I went back downstairs, no longer wanting to fight with Derek. But he was nowhere to be found. A note on the kitchen table explained it to me.

_Sylvie, I'm going to stay with Reid for a few days. I need some time to cool off. If the team gets a case, I'll let you know. Tell Halee and Lilly that I love them.~Derek_

Him not saying that he loved me was a real blow, something I hadn't expected. I needed someone strong, that I could always count on. I didn't need someone who would run away when things got hard. I sat down at the kitchen table and cried for God knows how long. I finally stopped when Halee began to cry.

* * *

I knew that the fridge was almost empty, as was the pantry, so I got myself looking decent in a navy sundress and flip flops. I dressed Halee in one of the adorable outfits that she had: a green onesie that said Halee in pink script, pink tutu skirt, and pink crocheted headband with a pink and green flower.

The drive to the grocery store was short, and pretty soon, our cart was almost overflowing. Halee sat in the baby seat attached to the cart, babbling through the whole store. So many people raved about how cute she was and what a pretty name she had. I was turning to go down an aisle and ran into another cart. The noise scared Halee, and she began to whimper, tears welling in her eyes.

"I am so sorry," I said, looking to realize that it was Hotch that I had ran into, "Really, Hotch I am."

"Sylvie, it was my fault, I should have been paying more attention," Hotch apologized, a concerned look on his face, "Is everything all right?"

"Not really, no," I truthfully told him, tears welling in my own eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked sincerely.

Talking was exactly what I needed. We finished the rest of our grocery shopping together and Hotch helped me load my groceries before we drove to a small coffee shop in Georgetown, where I got a caramel frappuccino. Halee sat in her car-seat at my feet, sucking on one of her toys as I told Aaron about the fight Derek and I had had.

"I just feel like I'm doing it alone and that he doesn't want to be with us," I explained, looking down at Halee and smiling.

"I'm sure that's not true Sylvie," Hotch replied, "Believe me, I'm not trying to make excuses for him, but he's been a lone wolf for a long time. Adjusting to being in a relationship, having a baby, living with someone else, it's a lot to take in."

"He knew what he was signing on for," I said, "I never asked him to stay, he chose to."

"Derek just needs some time, I think," Hotch suggested, "I know everything will work out Sylvie."

Halee began to squirm in her car-seat, anxious to be taken out.

"May I?" Hotch asked, gesturing towards her.

"Be my guest," I smiled.

He took her out, supporting her as she stood on his lap. I had never seen Hotch act so happy and goofy. He bounced her up and down, which made her giggle.

"I remember Jack when he was this age," he smiled, making faces at her which continued to make her laugh.

I thanked Hotch for everything before heading home with Halee, meeting a very confused Lilly once I walked in.

* * *

Derek's POV

Wanting to clear my head after dropping my stuff off at Reid's, I went for a drive. Ending up in Georgetown, I parked my car and began to walk around. I was walking next to a park, when I saw Sylvie sitting at a coffee shop across the street. Hotch was with her and he was holding Halee, who was standing up in his lap. He bounced her up and down, which made her smile. Sylvie had always said that she had my smile.

Seeing Hotch holding my daughter made me jealous. Seeing how intimately he and Sylvie were talking made me even more angry. After seeing this, I got back into my car and drove back to Reid's apartment.

"Don't make any plans for tonight Pretty Boy," I said as I walked in the door, "You and I are going out."

My phone buzzed a few minutes later as I sat on the couch, unfortunately watching Doctor Who with Pretty Boy. I looked at my phone, hoping that it was Sylvie. I was surprised to see that it was from someone I hadn't talked to in a long time. I hesitated to text back, not knowing the repercussions that I would face. Remembering Hotch and Sylvie's little "coffee date," I sent a message back, asking the person to meet Reid and I at FUR nightclub tonight at nine.

* * *

Sylvie's POV

"Where's Dad?" she asked, her smile disappearing when she saw the look on my face, "What happened?"

I told her everything and she listened like I knew she would.

"Mom, every relationship has its ups and downs," she told me, "Just wait it out and he'll come home. He knows what he's missing out on."

* * *

Later on that night at around eleven, Halee was already asleep and had been for a few hours, giving me some time to relax with Lilly and watch The Bachelorette.

Halfway through the episode, Lilly's phone went off and when she read the message, a shocked look appeared on her face.

"What is it?" I smiled, not knowing what was going on.

"Finn's at a club with some friends," Lilly began, "And he sent me this picture."

She handed me her phone, on which the screen showed a picture of Derek sitting on a couch, a leggy brunette cuddled up next to him, whispering something into his ear. Something about her looked oddly familiar and I didn't recognize her right away. It was Emily Prentiss, the member of Derek's team who had moved to London earlier in the year. I had heard from a few people around the office during my time at the BAU that they had been very close. Some of them questioned how close they had been.

I went to bed that night confused and disappointed. I needed commitment from Derek. I needed to know if he really wanted to be with me, to be with his family. And that's what I was going to find out.

* * *

**I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter but I really wanted to give you guys another new chapter! I have been super busy! Sorry for the length between updates. as well It will become regular soon, I promise!**

**I know this all kind of happened fast, but I wanted to get to Halee being born and the adventures that Derek, Sylvie, and Lilly will go through now that she is here. Sorry if Derek, Hotch, Emily, Sylvie, or Reid are out of character! (OOC)**

**For now though, what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the fifteenth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have also have another fanfiction that I am currently writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime and romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles!You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank Lenika08 for her amazing review! Thanks so much and keep it up!**

**For this story, Season 8 Episode 18 never happened!**

Chapter Sixteen

_Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge a pleasure. ~Tacitus_

* * *

Derek's POV

The next morning, at Reid's apartment, we got called in. When we got to the BAU, however, I wasn't expecting to hear what I did. The bullpen was full of people, running around with files and talking on the phones.

"Hotch, what's going on?" I asked, really confused.

"Derek, I think you should come sit down and we can talk in my office," Hotch stated, looking different than normal.

"No Hotch, tell me now!" I insisted.

"Several prisoners escaped from an Illinois prison two days ago," Hotch said.

"Well, okay, how does that affect me?" I asked.

"One of them was Carl Buford," Hotch told me.

I was silent for a few minutes, letting the news sink in.

"The car he stole was found this morning," Hotch continued, "In DC."

"You don't think..." I began.

"He left this inside," Hotch replied, handing over an evidence bag with papers inside.

I put on latex gloves and sat down, looking through what I now realized were pictures. One was of Sylvie while she was at the coffee shop with Hotch. There was also a picture of Halee and Sylvie at the grocery store. Another picture showed Lilly and Finn on a date. Finally, there was a picture of me, as I was going to enter Spencer's apartment building.

"He's been watching us," I gulped, "Hotch, he knows where my family is. I have to go to them."

* * *

Lilly's POV

The next morning, my mom and I were relaxing, neither of us having any plans for the day. I was watching TV, while Mom and Halee were upstairs. The doorbell rang, so I got up and answered it. A tall African-American man stood on the other side.

"Can I help you?" I asked, not knowing who he was.

"Is Derek here?" the man asked, looking around inside.

"Actually, no, he's at work," I answered, closing the door a bit more, "Is there something that I can do for you?"

The man pulled out a gun and pointed it at me, forcing his way inside quietly, putting his other hand over my mouth and moving the gun barrel to touch the side of my head.

"Now, you're going to tell your mom to come down here," the man instructed, "And tell her to bring the baby."

I gulped, as he removed his hand from my mouth, digging the barrel of the gun into my temple.

"Mom!" I managed to call, "Can you and Halee come down here for a second?"

I heard footsteps and my mom came down the stairs holding Halee. When she saw me and the unknown man, she froze, her mouth open.

"Now, Agent Runningwolf, don't make any rash decisions," the man said, "You're all coming with me and you better stay quiet, or your daughter here is dead."

"Who are you?" my mom asked, but before he could answer, the TV switched from Keeping Up With The Kardashians to a breaking news story.

"This just in," the female news anchor reported, "Carl Buford, a serial murderer and pedophile escaped from an Illinois state prison two days ago and now is in the DC/Virginia area. This man is considered armed and dangerous. Our sources say that information was found in the car that Buford stole and abandoned in downtown DC that suggested he was stalking and seeking revenge on the FBI agent that put him in prison six years ago. If you see this man, please call local law enforcement. If you have any information that could lead to his capture, please call the FBI tipline that is on your screen."

A mugshot appeared on the screen and it was the man that was currently in our house.

We walked out the door, Buford still holding the gun to my back. Before we got to the car, our neighbor across the street, Mrs. O'Donnell, was taking some groceries out of her car.

"Hi Sylvie," she called, smiling.

"Don't let her think anything," Buford said, smiling as well, digging the gun into my back.

"Hey Carla," my mom managed to muster, gripping Halee tightly.

"Who's your friend?" she asked, having been single for many years after her husband died.

"This is...ummm," my mom stammered, as the gun was now pressed into her back, "Derek's uncle from Chicago. He's just visiting. We're actually going to pick up Derek right now, so we have to go."

"Well, it was nice to meet you..." Carla paused, waiting to hear the man's name.

"Carl," Buford smiled, as we all got into the car. Buford sat in the passenger seat, one gun pointed at my mom, the other at Halee and I in the backseat. Terror was evident on her face as well as mine.

* * *

Derek's POV

I drove like a maniac until I got to the house, seeing that Sylvie's car was gone. I ran into the house, searching every room, but didn't find any of them. I walked back outside, hands on top of my hand as I panicked.

"Derek, what are you doing over there?" our neighbor across the street Carla O'Donnell asked as she stood outside, watering her flowers.

"Carla!" I called, running across the street, "Have you seen Sylvie? Or Lilly or Halee?"

"They left about fifteen minutes ago to go pick you up," Carla answered, confused, "With your uncle."

"My uncle?" I questioned, but sudden realization flooded over me. I took out my phone and pulled up the mugshot of Buford that I had had Garcia send me on my way over here, "Is this the man that was with them?"

When she saw it was a mugshot, she looked scared, "Yes."

I thanked her and told her to go back inside and lock her doors. I dialed Hotch's number, my hands shaking.

"Hotch, he's got them," I said, my voice wavering, when he answered, "He has my family."

* * *

Sylvie's POV

I didn't know where we were. After we drove for about fifteen minutes, we abandoned my car in a warehouse parking lot and got into a different car. Buford blindfolded Lilly and I and put us in the backseat, with Halee in her car seat in between us. Our wrists and ankles were bound and we didn't have any hope of anyone seeing us because the car's windows were heavily tinted.

Finally, after hours of driving, during which I dozed off several times, we arrived somewhere. He ordered us out of the car, after cutting our ankle ties, and I heard him take Halee's car seat out of the car, as he pushed Lilly and I along with the butt of his gun. We walked for a while, as he would open doors and force us through them. We went down several flights of stairs, until we reached a cold place, where Buford finally took off our blindfolds. There were no windows in the dark room that we were in and I could see how scared Lilly was.

"What do you want with us?" I asked, after being pushed onto the concrete floor. I could feel blood dripping from several wounds on my head.

"Oh, you're just collateral for now," Buford smiled evilly, "Derek Morgan ruined my life and now I'm going to ruin his, by destroying everything he cares about."

Buford then turned to a tripod that was set up, a video camera sitting on top of it with a red light flashing. A laptop with a lot of wires connected to it was set up on a small table next to the tripod. Just then, two burly men came down the stairs.

"Who are they?" Lilly asked, voice wavering.

"A few friends who decided to join the cause," Carl stated.

"They're going to find us," Lilly shouted, new-found confidence arising, "And you'll be sent to prison for even longer. This was a pretty stupid idea Carl."

Carl looked at one of the men and nodded. The man went over to Lilly and slapped her, hard, across the face, causing her to scream and fall onto the hard concrete floor.

"Now Agent Morgan," Carl said, coming into the frame, holding Halee, "I hope you've said your goodbyes, because you're never going to see your family again. Alive, that is. And by the way, this little girl is so quiet and well-behaved. That will make killing her very easy. Till we meet again Agent Morgan. Farewell."

The screen went blank and I became frustrated, hitting the wall, causing it to dent in.

"Derek, we all have to be calm," Reid said.

"Don't tell me what to be!" I shouted, "Garcia, can't you trace it?"

"I've been trying," Garcia replied as she typed furiously, "But this guy is good. He's using twenty proxy servers and is bouncing off of a bunch of different networks. It's not impossible, but it's going to take me a while. And it has to be live for me to be able to track it."

"Then we'll have to wait until he sends us another live feed," Hotch instructed, "Rossi and I are going to Illinois to talk to the people at the prison. The rest of you, stay here and man the tip-lines. Derek, stay here with Garcia. That's an order."

Leaving me in Garcia's lair, I sat down in a chair and cried, thinking of all the mistakes I had made.

* * *

_There is a sacredness in tears. They are not a mark of weakness, but of power. They are messengers of overwhelming grief and unspeakable love. ~Washington Irving_

* * *

**I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter but I really wanted to give you guys another new chapter! I have been super busy! Sorry for the length between updates. It will become regular soon, I promise!**

**I know this all kind of happened fast, but I wanted to get to Halee being born and the adventures that Derek, Sylvie, and Lilly will go through now that she is here. Sorry if anyone was out of character! (OOC)**

**For now though, what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the sixteenth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have also have another fanfiction that I am currently writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime and romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles!You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank Lenika08 and 36MaryRose36 for their amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

Chapter Seventeen

_You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt_

* * *

Sylvie's POV

We had now been held for two days, during which time, Carl Buford and his buddies had gotten increasingly more violent with Lilly and me. My whole body was throbbing with pain after multiple beat-downs from Buford's goons after I tried to protect Lilly. To punish me even further, they began to beat her in front of me. We were both covered in bruises and blood. Halee, thankfully, was left untouched, but she was starting to get on Buford's nerves.

After a lot of begging and Halee crying, Buford finally let me feed her a few hours after we made it to our prison, throwing me a dirty towel to cover myself with. The second night, Buford decided to do another live broadcast, and I knew that he would make sure Derek was watching. Either Sylvie or I were were going to get hurt again, just to make Derek suffer. The red light came on and Buford came to stand in front of where Lilly and I were sitting on the ground, our wrists bound, too pained to stand.

"Well, well, well Agent Morgan," Carl said, "We meet again. I expect you've been anxiously awaiting our next encounter."

There was a pause as Buford walked over to me and pulled me up, as I yelped in pain.

"I thought this time, I would have a little fun with your girlfriend here," he smiled sickly, pulling out a hunting knife.

* * *

Derek's POV

Garcia and I had been sitting in front of her screen for hours with no breaks and no sleep. JJ had been bringing us in food, but I hadn't been eating. Just as I was about to pick up the Chinese take-out box and give in to my stomach's complaining, a new link appeared on one of Garcia's many screens. She quickly clicked on it and texted the rest of the team.

Well, well, well Agent Morgan," Carl said, "We meet again. I expect you've been anxiously awaiting our next encounter."

There was a pause as Buford walked over to Sylvie and pulled her up, as she screamed in pain.

"I thought this time, I would have a little fun with your girlfriend here," he smiled sickly, pulling out a hunting knife.

"Garcia, are you tracing this?" I yelled, even though she was right next to me.

"I almost have it," she cried, typing furiously, "Just a few more seconds."

On the screen, I watched as two large men came and untied Sylvie's wrists, holding her down while Buford took the knife and began to carve something onto her wrist. She screamed in pain and I could see Lilly, frightened and huddling in the corner, covered in bruises and blood. I couldn't see Halee, which I hoped was a good thing.

"Anything you want to say to him?" Buford asked Sylvie, as the two men threw her back into the corner by Lilly, blood now slowly pouring out of the wound.

Sylvie finally mustered up the words, "I'm okay. They haven't hurt Halee. I'm so sorry."

She began to cry, which earned her a hard slap across the face from one of Buford's large friends, causing her to hit her head on the ground, and she laid there motionless.

"Now, now, Kenny, let's play nice," Carl said sinisterly, "There is a child in the room."

Buford moved out of the camera's view for a few minutes, before reentering, Halee in his arms. He picked up her small hand and waved it.

"Say goodbye to your daddy, because you'll never see him again," he cooed, "Goodbye Derek."

"I got it!" Penelope cheered, "Boone, North Carolina. An abandoned factory on Hill Street."

I called Hotch and got the rest of the team, and we were on our way to save my family.

* * *

Lilly's POV

Buford and his buddies left the room and went up the stairs right after turning off the camera, giving me time to crawl over to my mom, who was still laying on the ground, motionless, a pool of blood forming under where her right wrist lay on the ground. I carefully picked it up, and then used the ragged towel to wipe away the blood, revealing a large "CB" carved into her skin, lines straight and precise. I ripped off a part of the towel and tied it tightly around her wrist, to try to stop the bleeding. Halee, meanwhile, was sitting in her car seat, a few feet away at the base of the camera's tripod. I was able to crawl over there, and as I moved the car seat a bit, I saw the knife lying underneath it, the same knife that Buford had used to carve his initials into my mom.

I was able to take the knife into my mouth and slowly cut the rope that bound my wrists. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the rope broke free and I let the knife clatter to the floor. I reached and grabbed Halee and hurried back to my mom. She was still unconscious, which I knew wasn't a good sign. As I huddled next to Mom, with Halee clinging to me out of fear, I heard gunshots above us. I clutched Halee even tighter, tears falling from my eyes as my body shook.

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and I instinctively crawled to the corner, still close to my mom, but trying to protect Halee from any actual harm. Relief flooded my entire body when I saw that it was Derek, JJ, and Reid. I managed to stand up and hobble over to him, glad when he enveloped Halee and me in a large hug. JJ and Reid had hurried to my mom, calling for a medic. I handed Halee to Dave, who had just come down the stairs with Hotch, when the room began to spin and then became entirely black.

* * *

Derek's POV

After rushing Sylvie and Lilly to the nearest hospital, I was sitting in the waiting room with the team and Halee. She had been given a clean bill of health, but the doctors hadn't updated me on how Sylvie and Lilly were doing.

"Sylvie Runningwolf?" a doctor read off a chart as she walked into the room.

The team and I all stood up, waiting to hear the news.

"How is she?" I asked, shifting Halee from one side to the other as she burrowed next into my chest.

"She sustained some major head trauma, as well as being dehydrated," the doctor told us, "She also has a few broken ribs and lost a bit of blood. She's stable for now, but, I'm sorry to say, she's drifted into a coma."

"How long until she wakes up?" I asked, angry at myself.

"It all depends Mr. Morgan," the doctor told me, "Normal time to wake up from a coma with these types of injuries is a few hours to a few days."

"And Lilly?" I gulped, trying to hold back my emotions.

"She also has a couple broken ribs, cuts, and bruises," the doctor stated, looking at the file, "She's a very young lady. She'll be able to leave tomorrow."

"Can we see them?" JJ asked.

"Normally, we don't allow more than one person in the room," the doctor said, nervously looking around, "But I guess I can make an exception for you guys."

"I'm going to go see Sylvie," I stated, "But I don't want Halee to see her like that."

"Of course," Dave said, reaching out and taking Halee, "Come here Princess."

I entered Sylvie's room, and the stark white walls, sheets, and pillow made her look even paler than usual. Gauze was wrapped around her right wrist and her face was covered with bruises. I took her hand in mine and sat there, tears filling in my eyes.

"I am so sorry," I managed to say, squeezing her hand, "But you have to stay with me. I can't imagine my life without you. I need you. We need you. We're a family: you and me, Lilly and Halee. You just have to wake up and come back to us."

I bent my head down, still holding onto Sylvie's hand, doing something that I hadn't done in a long time.

"God, please give Sylvie the strength to wake up from this coma and be with her family. I know what I'm asking for here is a miracle, but she is deserving of it. Give me patience and the ability to understand, so that I can keep her with me. And God, thank you for everything that you have given me in my life. Amen."

Before I knew it, I was waking up a few hours later. I had fallen asleep in a chair next to Sylvie's bed, still grasping her hand. I leaned my head back on the chair, until I felt one of Sylvie's fingers move against my hand, the best feeling in the world as far as I was concerned.

* * *

_Never stop believing in hope because miracles happen every day._

* * *

**I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter but I really wanted to give you guys another new chapter! I have been super busy! Sorry for the length between updates. It will become regular soon, I promise!**

**I know this all kind of happened fast, but I wanted to get to Halee being born and the adventures that Derek, Sylvie, and Lilly will go through now that she is here. Sorry if anyone seems out of character! (OOC)**

**For now though, what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the seventeenth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**I have also have another fanfiction that I am currently writing. It is a Spencer Reid/OC crime and romance story called Here I Go. Check it out and review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever (unfortunately) owned Criminal Minds. Everything goes to CBS except for the characters, cases, etc. that I have personally created!**

**So I'm doing what no author should do! Starting a new story while still in the middle of writing another! But, this story, however, just kept coming back into my mind, so here it goes actually writing it!**

**Huge shout-out to Miss McGee for giving me this idea for the story and for helping me immensely with all the characters and profiles!You are a lifesaver!**

**I'd also like to thank Lenika08, 36MaryRose36, and Miss Private Daniel Jackson for their amazing reviews. Keep it up!**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

_The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~Mahatma Gandhi_

* * *

Sylvie's POV

For a long time, everything was dark. I could hear people talking, but couldn't really make out what they were saying. Finally, after I felt that I had control of my body again, I was able to move one of my fingers, feeling someone's hand holding mine. Hoping that it was Derek's, but at the same time, hoping that it wasn't.

I fought my desire to open my eyes, remembering the anger towards Derek that I'd felt before being taken by Buford helped fuel the fire. I still was under the impression that he might have been cheating on me with Emily. I did not know the truth, but I didn't want to talk to him to find out. My body, however, had a different idea, my eyes fluttering open and lightly squeezing the hand that held mine. As soon as I realized this, I pulled my hand away from the person sitting next to me, searing pain shooting up my arm.

"Sylv, are you okay?" Derek asked, a concerned tone in his voice, "Do you want me to get a nurse or?"

"No, I'm fine," I snapped, my head pounding as I noticed the gauze wrapped around my wrist.

"I'm really glad that you're okay," Derek stated, "All of you."

"Where are Lilly and Halee?" I asked worriedly.

"Lilly is in the room right next door and she doesn't have any major injuries," he explained, "And Halee is with Rossi and the team. They're in the waiting room. Finn is in with Lilly right now. He hasn't left her side."

"That's good," I managed, not knowing what else to say.

"Listen Sylv, I am so sorry," Derek began, putting his hand on top of mine.

Again, I quickly moved my hand out of his grip, and again, searing pain shot up my arm. "Can we please not do this now?"

"Sylvie, we need to talk about it, sooner rather than later," Derek insisted.

"Well, I'd like to talk about it when I have fully-functioning arms in case I need to slap you," I said, truly meaning it.

* * *

Then, the team walked in, all smiles, but all I noticed was that Halee wasn't with them.

"Before you ask," JJ said, "Halee didn't want to leave Lilly's side, so she's with her. But we wanted to come and see how you were doing."

"I'm fine," I insisted, "What about Buford?"

"He's dead," Hotch stated, "Along with his two friends. They attempted to shoot us when we entered the abandoned factory, so we had no other choice."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the doctor said, walking into the room, "Welcome back Miss Runningwolf. You had us all worried there for a while."

"How is my daughter?" I asked, not caring about myself.

"Lilly is fine, other than some bruises and a few cracked ribs, but they should heal quickly. She's being released tonight," the doctor replied.

"When will I be able to go home?" I asked.

"We'll need to monitor you overnight, just to make sure you didn't suffer a more complex head injury than we originally thought, but you should be able to leave by tomorrow morning," the doctor said, "And folks, visiting hours are now over, so I'm going to have to ask that you all leave."

"Of course," JJ smiled, nodding and thanking the doctor as he left, "We'll see you tomorrow Sylv."

The team came and gave me hugs before leaving just me and Derek in the room, alone.

"You should go," I instructed, "Take Lilly and Halee home and get some sleep."

"Finn can take them home," Derek answered, "I think I should stay here with you."

"Derek, I don't want you here," I said defensively, "I need some time. Please, just go."

With a hurt look on his face, he walked out of the room, leaving me alone.

* * *

I spent the night thinking about everything that had happened, rather than sleeping like the doctor had advised, brought out of my thought when I was interrupted by a nurse coming in and taking the gauze bandages off of my wrist, saying the wound needed to breathe.

Once she left, I looked down at my wrist, haunted by the two letters that were etched into my skin, and forever would stay there as a scar. CB, the letters straight and prominent, the area around the letters inflamed and rubbed raw from the wrist restraints. My head was pounding and I knew that my face was full of bruises, but still, the only thing I could think about was Derek.

I so desperately wanted to just forgive him and move on from this, continuing to be a happy family. But, on the other hand, I couldn't ignore the feeling that he wasn't 100% in for the long run, that feeling growing stronger after seeing that he had gone clubbing after leaving me.

My head was full of accusations and speculations, but none of it was the truth. I wanted to hear, from Derek, what had happened and if he even wanted to be with me anymore. It sure didn't seem like it when Emily was perched in his lap in that photo.

The doctor came in the next morning at eight, after I had gotten three hours of sleep total, and gave me the paperwork I needed to sign to be released. I did it as fast as I could, not really reading it all. Despite my attempts to get anyone but Derek to pick me up, there he was, waiting with the wheelchair, which I deemed totally unnecessary, but the doctors wouldn't let me walk out.

The drive home was silent, as I'd expected and planned for it to be. I had nothing to say to the man sitting next to me, driving the car. He seemed like a totally different person than the man I had fallen in love with, what seemed like a short time ago.

When we finally arrived home, all I could think about was seeing Lilly and Halee. I hurried inside and was met by Lilly, holding Halee. She flew into my arms, tears streaming down her face.

"Mom, I'm so glad you're okay," she finally was able to say, as she at last let me go and handed Halee to me.

"Oh, hello Princess," I cooed, as Halee looked at me and giggled.

"You must be exhausted," Lilly said, "Sit down, make yourself comfortable. I'm actually about to leave for work, but I think Derek can handle Halee for the day."

"You're going to work?" I questioned, "Are you sure you're ready?"

"I just need to get my mind off of everything," Lilly replied, "You know, clear my head. I'm going to dinner with Finn afterward so I probably won't be home until late."

"Alright," I said hesitantly as she walked out the door, leaving me with Halee in my arms and Derek in the kitchen.

Time passed very slowly, but soon enough, Halee had fallen asleep and I put her in her crib, shutting the door behind me and going back into the living room, where Derek was waiting for me on the couch.

* * *

Lilly's POV

After work, I was surprised to see Finn waiting outside, leaning on his car.

"Hey,"I smiled as we shared a kiss, "What are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet up later for dinner?"

"I thought I would surprise you," he said, and as he wrapped his arms around my waist, I heard a clicking noise from the parking lot.

Sure enough, there was a group of photographers huddled together, getting as many shots as they could. In the six months that Finn and I had been dating, I still hadn't gotten used to the paparazzi following us around everywhere we went.

"Come on," Finn said, opening my door, "I want to take you somewhere."

I moved to get into the car, but Finn stopped me.

"I almost forgot," he said, pulling out a blindfold, "To make it even more of a surprise."

We drove for a while and then, while I was still blindfolded, Finn helped me out of the car and up several flights of stairs. I was totally confused, until he removed the blindfold.

We were on a roof, where a view of DC was evident and beautiful. The roof had twinkly lights and paper lanterns strung up, with a porch swing in the center of it all. Finn took my hand and we sat on it together, my head on his shoulder and our hands intertwined.

"This is perfect," I smiled, stroking his hand with my thumb, "Just what I needed."

"I'm really glad that you're okay," Finn said, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear, leaning in to kiss me. Just as I had deepened the kiss, he pulled away.

"What's wrong?" I asked, genuinely concerned, "You've been acting weird lately."

He looked down and that's when I got worried.

"I found out the day that you were..." Finn started, unable to finish that sentence, "That I got traded."

"Okay," I said, waiting for him to say something else.

"To the 49'ers," he finished, looking up to meet my gaze, the hurt apparent on his face, "San Francisco."

"Oh," I replied, not sure of what else to say.

"Lilly, the past six months with you have been the happiest I've ever been," Finn insisted, "I love you and I don't want to live without you. So come with me."

"Finn," I started, "I can't just pick up everything and leave my job and the only place I've ever known. Not to mention my mom and my dad and my sister."

"Maybe this will help," he said, smiling, getting off the swing and getting down on one knee and pulling out a small velvet box, opening it to reveal a gorgeous, intricate diamond ring, "Lilly, I don't want to even imagine my life without you in it. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. Will you marry me?"

"Oh my gosh," I said, my mouth open, but I didn't know what else to say, only finding myself nodding, tears beginning to fall from my eyes, "Yes."

* * *

Sylvie's POV

"I don't know what you want me to say Sylv," Derek said, "I am so sorry. If I would've been here, maybe nothing would've happened."

"Don't speculate like that, please," I pleaded, "All I want to know is why you would leave your family and go clubbing the same night."

"I just needed to unwind so I took Reid to a club and yes, Emily was there too, but nothing happened," Derek insisted.

"Really? So the woman who you used to work with and were questionably close to just happened to show up at the exact same club that you and Spencer were at, even though she lives halfway across the world?" I asked, now starting to get angry, "So you didn't call her or text her to meet you there?"

"I'm going to kill Garcia," Derek mumbled under his breath, "I heard she was back in town and wanted to spend some time with an old friend. And that's all she was, a friend. Why would I lie to you?"

"At this point, I don't know what to believe," I stated, "I don't even know if you want to be here."

"Sylv, I just have a lot going on right now," Derek said, "Between work and home..."

"You don't think I have a lot going on?" I snapped, "Just because I'm not off chasing serial killers every day of the week doesn't mean I'm not busy."

"Why does everything with you have to turn into an argument?" Derek replied, raising his voice and standing up off the couch.

"I've never forced you to stay," I coldly said, "Hell, I've never even asked you to stay. But, if you want to go, then go. I don't want you pretending to be happy, when you're not."

"I love you Sylvie," he said, sitting back down, his head in his hands, "And I want to be with you, more than anything. But I need you to trust me. Emily and I were both very drunk, which I know doesn't excuse our behavior, but I promise that I'm telling you the truth when I say that nothing happened. Please, forgive me."

I looked at him, the hurt and pain in his eyes made me want to forget about everything and forgive him. But, something was holding me back, and I didn't know what that was.

"I love you too," I replied, which made Derek come sit next to me, "And I don't want to fight with you. But I need to know that you want to be here. When you aren't off on a case, it feels like your body is here, but your mind isn't.

"When I'm home, I try to put all the bad stuff out of my mind," Derek sighed, "The UNSUBs and the victims. It kills me to be away from you all for so long, but the job is part of who I am, and I need you to accept that."

"I do," I said, as he intertwined my fingers with his, "I just worry about you, that's all. If something happened..."

"Shhh," Derek calmed me, "Don't think like that. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. You can't get rid of me that easily."

That night, Derek and I showed our love for each other through word and action. It was going to be a long, hard road, but I was ready to face all the challenges with Derek by my side.

* * *

_It takes a strong person to say sorry, and an even stronger person to forgive._

* * *

**You guys, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for the long time between updates! I have been so busy, but I promise you that I will try harder to update more often!**

**For now though, what do you guys think? I hope ya'll enjoyed the eighteenth chapter of An Untraditional Love Story. Please review, review, review! Let me know if you have any comments, concerns, ideas, or suggestions about this chapter or future chapters! ~Kelsey**

**_I also have two fanfictions that I am currently writing. They are Spencer Reid/OC crime and romance stories called Here I Go and the sequel Here We Go. Check them out and review!_**

**_Additionally, I have recently started an NCIS McGee/OC romance and drama story called It Started With Coffee. Check it out and review!_**


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